You're Mine
by Anonymoux-Sonic
Summary: Love is when you care for someone more than yourself, and you would do anything for them to be happy, alive, and well, no matter what the cost. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with his rival. He wasn't supposed to let things spiral out of control. He wasn't supposed to let the other get away with everything...but he does, because he loves him, no matter what the cost. Sonadow.
1. One

**You're Mine**

 **Author's Note:**

 _Sonic Underground told me I should try something new, so here I am! Fair warning, this story is practice for smut-writing and dark plots. I also just wanted to write something I haven't before and see how well I do. I'm going to keep everyone in charcter as much as possible, using references from Sonic X, Archie Comics, and Sonic/Fleetway the Comic. Enjoy the Sonadow-smut. Yes, I'm working on Welcome to My World._

 **One**

His emerald irises glowed in the dark, nearly pitch black room. He swallowed, gagging on the irritable, dry taste of cloth tainting the saliva in his mouth; the dark red fabric pulled taunt tightly around his head and tied in a hard knot in between his large, sharp, cobalt blue quills. His pointy, white teeth were forced to bite into the cloth, gritting down on it so hard it hurt his jaw. Soft, blue ears which were bent backwards, flicked in agitation. His white, gloved fingers dug into the palms of his sweating hands, flexed open, and dug down again into tight fists. He attempted to yank his arms away from the source of their immobility; the specially made military handcuffs clinking as they were pulled and stretched to their limit. A deep, husky growl rumbled from a fawn furred chest; his body sinking into the dark red blankets beneath him as he exhaled. A blue leg kicked, followed by another, louder, growl. Another set of cuffs clinked and clattered, leaving etch markings on the strong wooden posts they were attached to. Blue lids squeezed shut over those glowing emerald eyes, before opening and narrowing dangerously, his gaze locked on the brown blades of the ceiling fan above, spinning slowly around, and around, and around...

Those blue ears twitched at the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the dark room, and a third, low growl greeted the owner of those steps as he stepped in the room. A small, smug smirk teased tan lips, while ruby red irises glowed just as brightly as emerald ones as they met in a challenging stare. There was the sound of a click as the newcomer latched the door behind him, and another as it was locked securely shut for good measure.

The footsteps brought the onyx and crimson hedgehog around the queen bed, his blood red eyes never leaving the body of his captive. He stopped at the side of the bed at the nightstand and placed something down there...another cloth, before he turned around and made his way to the other side of the room, where he disappeared through another doorway.

The bedroom lit up just a bit as the bathroom light was turned on, casting a yellow shade over the bound male's face. His eyes squinted as he tried to make out what the other was doing, his ears perked up and alert as he strained to listen.

The light seemed to turn off too soon for him to figure it out; the darker hedgehog stepping out with the same, devilish smirk dancing across his muzzle. He made his way over to the bed, stopping at the foot of it. He reaches down and grabs a tight hold of the sapphire hedgehog's left ankle, before pulling off his trademark red shoe.

The bound male let out another growl, despite being muffled from the fabric in his mouth. That smirk on tan lips pulled upward in a mocking sneer; sharp canines gleaming in unspoken amusement. The red shoe hits the beige carpet with a soft thud, followed silently by a white sock. The clothing was soon joined by their pair, and the dark hedgehog made his way around the bed oncemore.

Another growl and a sinister chuckle. The black hedgehog leans over his captive, grabbing those fighting, fawn arms. He reaches and pulls off the white gloves, discarding them on the floor as well. Once that was done, he lifts up his own hands and removes his own gloves, leaving the golden rings around his wrists to stay. Afterwards, he reaches down and slides out of the metallic skates his wore, but leaves his ebony socks on.

Finished with his task, he reaches for the cloth he placed on the nightstand and holds it in between his index and middle fingers. With that he lifts a leg and crawls on the bed, his black ears flicking at the sound of heavy breathing and deeper growls from the bound male below him. He straddles the blue waist, grinning down at the hedgehog beneath him, holding the cloth up and grabbing it with his other hand. He holds it out, as if to show it off, before lowering it slowly down and over the captive's eyes.

The cobalt hedgehog turns his head, and the ebony one shrugs as if it weren't a problem. He lays the cloth down on the captive's fawn chest, before reaching up and grabbing the smaller one's muzzle firmly in his right hand. Their eyes met, emerald clashing against ruby... Sonic's were narrowed with spite, Shadow's were narrowed with mirth.

The latter and currently dominant of the pair leaned forward, while the feeling of his hot breath over him made the former's ears twitch uncomfortably. A wet tongue was dragged lazily across one of these soft ears, before sharp fangs bit rather harshly into the tip of it.

A surprised yip was muffled into the red cloth in his mouth, the Blue Blur's eyes widening for a fraction of a second, before narrowing down as they were before. Once again Shadow's fingers delicately picked up the cloth on his captive's chest, and lifted it up and over those bright green eyes without a problem. Sonic couldn't shake his head with his tormentor's teeth hanging on to his sensitive ears, and so his eyes were blindfolded without a chance to fight it.

The blindfold itself was wrapped around his head, tied in between his blue spines along with the one that gagged him. He groaned as he felt his ear be released, and shook his head as if that would do him any good.

Two black fingers reached towards the younger hedgehog's mouth and hooked onto the cloth their, pulling it down to his chin with a firm tug. The cobalt male gasped for air as if he had been drowning, before his low growl turned into a menacing snarl. _"Shadow, what the_ _hell?!"_

A deep, stout chuckle was his only answer, and he bared his teeth with his loss of patience and nerve. He was freaked out, angry, and beyond all wanted nothing more than to put his enemy and rival in his place. _Just what the hell did he think he was doing?_

Shadow leaned over his enraged counterpart, his lips just lightly grazing the others. Sonic could feel the other smirking down at him, and could practically feel the smugness radiating around him. "My dear friend," came Shadow's deep, smooth-as-velvet voice. "Did you really think I would just let you get away that easily?" His hands reached up and began traveling over fawn arms, not touching, but grazing over the fur in a tortuous tease. "You should know by now that whatever you start..." His hands floated downwards over a heaving torso, enjoying the shaky, nervous breaths of his captive. "...I finish."

His hands skimmed the soft fur of the male below him, starting from his chest, down to his belly. Sonic's breath caught in his throat, while his stomach tightened. A wave of searing heat spread from his chest to the rest of his body, and he swallowed nervously. He couldn't _see_ what Shadow was doing to him, but he could certainly _feel_ it.

He felt those wandering hands trail back up and around to his svelte yet ticklish hips, curving down his waist to strong blue thighs. Still, Shadow did not make complete contact, but kept his hands just right above the soft blue pelt. Those dark hands traveled back up and around to the small of his back, a sensitive area, causing him to buck and arch and let out a strangled groan. The hands didn't stop, only made their way up in between sharp spines. Then the dark hedgehog pulled his hands away completely. Sonic swallowed the lump in his throat, his ears straining to hear what the other was doing.

His body jumped when suddenly Shadow's hands placed themselves firmly on his chest, sliding down now hard and firm over his stomach. Blue ears pinned themselves back, and a weak cry broke through moist fawn lips. His heart jumped to his throat, feeling the older male's hands slide over his hips, grab them fiercely enough to leave a bruise, before they continued their journey to his thighs.

Black furred hands felt around him, while their owner began to reposition himself. Sonic's heart raced as he felt the bed rock slightly, those hands grabbing his legs under his knees and slowly spreading them open, making him feel more vulnerable than ever. Shadow's knees slid under his thighs, keeping them spread open, while his hands began to feel the inside of them.

The blue body was trembling beneath him, his breathing just as shaky. He was hot, his fur starting to become slick from sweat under his pelt. "Sh-Shadow-! Stop!"

Black ears swiveled and flew upward at the hoarse, breaking voice coming from his rival. This only made his smirk grow into a evil grin, and brought his hands up from inside blue thighs, to groping the blue crotch in between. _"Sha-Shadow!"_

Sonic swooned, his body melting with the others furious touches. He huffed, his breath just as hot as he felt, his eyes squeezed tightly shut under the blindfold. He pulled on the handcuffs that dared restrain him, kicking and pulling and bucking while his tormentor simply watched in enlightenment.

The bed creaked as Shadow leaned forward, pressing a warm, wet kiss on the side of the younger one's fawn muzzle. He brought his left hand up, sliding it under the others head and grabbing a tight hold of fawn quills, while his other hand pressed its thumb down hard and painfully over a heated sheath below.

"H-hey!" Sonic exclaimed, his back arching once again, while turning his head away from Shadow's hungry mouth. A sting of pain arose in the back of his head, Shadow's hand holding him tightly there to prevent him from shaking away. He pressed his mouth down again, this time on a blue neck, his teeth nibbling there softly.

The thumb down below pushed inward, inside the hot sheath and against a slowly hardening tip. Sonic gasped and meowled at the contact, his hips bucking into Shadow's hand and his teeth clenching down with a snap. A hiss passed through his gritted teeth as another finger entered the overheating pouch; both Shadow's thumb and index finger replied with a harsh squeeze.

 _"Ah!_ W-Would you s-stop?!" Sonic whined, trying to ignore the pressure building below. The dark hedgehog above him chuckled, and when he spoke his voice was nearly a whisper. "But you seem to be enjoying yourself..." He grabs the swollen tip and gives a rough tug, bringing a shuddered cry out of the blue male beneath him. "Why would you want me to stop doing something to you that makes you _feel_ _so good?"_

A high pitched whine rang in the back of Sonic's throat in response. He would be lying if he said Shadow's words only made him hotter, but he could never admit it to himself. He felt the bed rock again as Shadow moved, before another harsh pull brought his member out completely.

His face was about as red as Shadow's striped quills, and as the dark hedgehog let go of his head, he turned it to face away from it all. He felt the others hand wrap around his hard length, squeezing tightly, before bringing his hand up and sliding all the way down. He shuddered and groaned, his fawn furred fingers digging into his palms, while his toes curled at the pleasure churning his tight stomach. Shadow continued to stroke him, enjoying the meowls and moans that would sometimes escape the cobalt male, and decided to see how loud he could get the other to be...

Sonic's ears flew upward as he felt Shadow move, the bed below him creaking to warn him of whatever the dark hedgehog had planned for him. He lay there panting, and nearly shreaked when Shadow's hot mouth enveloped his already wet member.

 _"AAH! Sh-Sh-Sh-Shadow!"_ He cries out, his eyes rolling back before squeezing shut. It was so warm, so tight, and when a deep purr from Shadow's chest vibrated his tip, he shook his head and let out another cry. _"O-O-Ok-kay you w-win! I w-won't do it a-again!"_

Shadow ignored him and bobbed his head all the way down, enjoying each and every shudder that shook the blue body beneath him. He places a dark hand on the squirming hero's stomach, keeping his hips from bucking too much. _"S-Shadow please!"_

That cry right there nearly sent the dark hedgehog over the edge. Nothing pleased him more than to hear Mobius's great hero, a _very_ powerful mobian, crying his name and begging; meowling and trembling beneath him without being able to do anything about it. His purr was louder this time as he pulled back, suckling the tip of his captive's member with a dark, lustful smirk. Sonic whined and huffed, before letting out another cry as his counterpart bit his tip.

Shadow pulled away, leaving Sonic to feel the cool air on his wet length, making him shiver. Suddenly his legs were being lifted up and pushed back, and that hot mouth make its way lower, under him. Catching on what was about to happen, the blue hero begins pulling and flailing again. _"N-No! Sh-Shadow, s-stop! D-Don't you even dare-AH!"_

Shadow forced his tongue inside the tight hole below, wringing a series of meowls from his captive. The Blue Blur was now nothing more than a pile of melted pudding, unable to control the sensible sounds that left his lips, nor the way his body bucked and pushed back onto Shadow's mouth. He thrust his squirming tongue up into that tight heat, before slowly pulling back to drag it up and over the younger's swollen member.

He didn't stop there. His mouth trailed upward, placing warm licks and kisses up the broken body, purring as he positioned himself just right against his rival. His lips find and take ahold of shaking fawn lips, forcing his tongue in the cobalt's mouth, biting down on his lips hard enough to draw blood. His tongue danced around and lapped at sweet spots only he knew about, while he rocked himself up and rutted against the smaller body.

"Sh-Shadow..." Sonic whined as said hedgehog pulled away, trailing back down to the crook of his neck. He plants a soft kiss there, before pulling his hips back and slamming forward into the blue body, his teeth sinking into the tender flesh.

 _"Shadow!"_

The feeling of the dark hedgehog inside him sent him spiralling out of control. He couldn't stop the screams from leaving him, his vision gone white under the blindfold as Shadow rammed into the sweet spot deep inside him. Shadow, Shadow, Shadow was all he could think, all he could feel, and as the Ultimate Lifeform himself brought his hips back, the words 'fuck it' rung in his head and he just finally gave in.

The onyx hedgehog thrusted forward with a force that made Sonic scream. His dark hands lifted blue hips up to meet his thrusts, pushing even deeper inside of his captive. He moaned and purred into the blue neck he called his cavern, his dark ears catching every sound that left the cobalt's lips. Feeling Sonic's body tense up near release, he digs his fingers in those blue hips and thrusts as hard as he can into that tight, hot, sweet, sweet spot. His rival let out one last, weak cry of his name, before he released onto both their stomachs. That was it for Shadow, and Sonic meowled as he felt a searing heat fill him up as Shadow followed his climax.

The black hedgehog collapsed above him, grabbing ahold of blue quills and breathing in the scent of the smaller hedgehog beneath him. "You're mine," he practically growled, enjoying the shiver that traveled through the blue body with his words. "If I ever catch you messing with that red idiot again, I'll make you _suffer."_

Sonic whined and nodded his head, swallowing the lump in his throat and shuddering one final time. The last thing he felt was a warm, gentle kiss on the side of his muzzle, before exhaustion put him to sleep.

* * *

"What in the world did you _do?"_

The blue hero turns and gives the white, female bat a glare. He couldn't blame her for being curious; he looked terrible. A cut across his cheek, a bite mark on his neck, bruises scattered across his body, topped with dark circles under his eyes. He huffs and turns his attention back to the scrambled eggs in the pan on the stove, grabbing the bag of shredded cheese and practically dumping the whole thing on them. Rouge the Bat tilts her head to the side in slight worry. Her brows were furrowed lightly, her teal blue eyes studying the cobalt male in an attempt to read him out. She currently sat on the dark brown kitchen table, her left leg crossed over her right, her hands on either side of her, her fingers tapping the wooden surface as she tried to solve the dilemma that was Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Blue, hon?" She asks, watching his sapphire ears fold back. He lets out a huff of air, throwing the empty bag of Mozzarella across the counter. "I got a little too close to Knuckles for comfort."

Rouge feels her lips pull upward in a smirk. "And by close, you mean ten miles away from him, right?"

Another huff left the Blue Blur, and he turns off the burner on the stove. "We were messing around: fighting but not really fighting." He dumps the cheesy eggs onto his plate, before placing the pan in the sink. "Shadow just happened to catch us at a bad time."

The treasure hunter sighs and rolls her eyes. "Paranoid as usual...and by looking at you I can assume you were in some heavy trouble, right?"

Sonic's face reddens lightly as he picks up his plate, his mind wavering back to the whole mess of last night and the hours beforehand. Shadow had nearly killed the red echidna, before throwing a startled Sonic over his shoulder and taking him back to their house. He chained him down and then left for a few hours, before coming back and...

Sonic shakes his head and turns to sit at the table. "Do you know if Knuckles is alive?"

Rouge chuckles softly and shakes her head. "No sweetheart. I can go up for you if you want. I don't think Shadow wants you anywhere near there for a while, huh?"

Sonic takes a bite of his food with a scowl. The female sighs again and pulls out a chair to sit next to her friend. "Do you want me to talk to him?" she asks in a soft voice.

The sapphire shakes his head, his jade eyes falling on his plate. "It's fine. He's just been crabby lately. This will all blow over soon."

She gives him a doubtful look, before nodding. "Alright, but if this gets any worse, I'm stepping in. How many times in the past month has something like this happened?"

Sonic says nothing, only takes another bite of his breakfast. "Exactly," Rouge answers, holding her hands up in grief. "Blue honey, I know you love him, but this behaviour isn't acceptable. He's hurting you and it's getting worse."

The blue hero's eyes narrow, but he continues to remain silent. The treasure hunter sighs and rubs her temples. "Tails is worried sick, Knuckles is on edge, Amy thinks she was right all along... I can't help but worry about you every second of every day..."

Sonic drops his fork obnoxiously loud on the table, grabbing his plate and pushing himself to his feet. She watches him drop both the plate and fork in the sink with a loud clang, before he grabs his gloves off the counter and pulls them on. She stands up as he begins to leave the kitchen, grabbing his arm to stop him. "Sonic, you need to listen to me. Either figure out what's wrong with Shadow and do something about it, or I will. Don't run from this."

She watches him stand there for a second, his ears falling against his head, before he pulls away and storms out of the house. She sighs and crosses her arms, leaning against the kitchen doorway, watching the front door slam shut in the wind.


	2. Two

**Two**

The loud boom was the only warning the pair got, before the front door swung open in a whoosh of cool air. Sonic, quills slightly ruffled from his run, stared dumbfounded at his little brother, and a certain red echidna who seemed to be in the middle of pacing the workshop's living room. Knuckles whirls around to face the cobalt mobian, whose eyes were slightly widened, his blue ears perked up as he stared. The ruby guardian runs forward, grabbing the blue hero by the shoulders, his amethyst eyes filled with nothing but concern. "Chaos, Sonic are you alright?"

The hedgehog blinks, taken aback by the echidna's sudden outburst, before realization takes over him, and his eyes narrow sharply. With a harsh push, he sends his friend away from him, much to the other's surprise. "What the hel-?!"

"Don't!" Sonic exclaims before Knuckles could finish. He points at the guardian with an accusing finger, his other hand balled into a tight fist. "What the _heck_ are you doing here?! Do you _have_ a death wish?"

The echidna freezes, his eyes widened, before the red lids narrow down as well. "I'm _here_ to make sure _you're_ okay!"

Sonic facepalms himself, before running a hand through his quills in irritation. "Knuckles, after what happened the day before, you shouldn't be anywhere near me."

The echidna throws his arms up in the air. "Are you fricking kidding me?! You're _my_ friend, and have been for how many years now?! I don't need _anyone's_ goddamn permission to be around you, especially Shadow's!"

Sonic takes a step forward, jamming his finger into the echidna's chest. "Well you could have at least given me the chance to explain it to him!"

"I shouldn't have to!" Knuckles jabs back, grabbing Sonic's wrist with a tight grip. "And you shouldn't have had to explain _anything_ to him! He's a selfish bastard that doesn't care about anyone but himself! He'll do anything to get something that benefits him, whether or not it hurts anyone else around him!"

"That's not true..." Sonic growls, his quills raising defensively. "He's just a paranoid wreck who needs some common sense smacked into him. I could have done that hadn't you provoked him to begin with!"

Tails stood frozen still, watching the two argue back and forth. _Please don't start fighting. Please don't start fighting. Please don't start fighting..._

 _"I_ provoked _him?! He_ came up to _me_ with the intent to kill! Trying to talk with him is like trying to tell a train to stop! You know damn well that nothing you could have said would've stopped him, and don't try to deny it!"

Sonic grinded his teeth, his patience faltering. "And what would you know?!"

Knuckles leans forward, his voice low as he spoke. "I know that you're just trying to defend his ass because you don't want things to seem as bad as they are. We all know he's hurting you, Sonic. Doesn't take a blind man and all those bruises on you to figure that out. I don't give a damn if you say you can handle it, because if you could, we wouldn't be having this argument in the first place, because there would be _no damn reason to!"_

Sonic yanked himself away from the echidna, his fur raised and his ears pulled backwards. The two stood there, tense and seemingly ready to start beating each other at the slightest movement. Tails's heart was pounding, his ears and namesakes lowered sadly and fearfully. Knuckles slowly takes in a deep, shaky breath, clenching his hands into fists before unclenching them to relieve some stress. "Sonic," he starts, his voice a bit calmer. "You love him, I know that. I don't why the hell you do, and why out of all people it had to be him. What I also know...no, correction...what _we all know,_ is that he's beating you, locking you up, restraining you, and Chaos doesn't even want to know what he's doing to you in that bedroom of yours..."

Sonic flinches, swallowing, as Knuckles continues. "...and you, because he has your heart wrapped around his finger, are letting him get away with it under some, what I think is a false, belief, that he's just worried he'll lose you or some other lie he may have told you."

When the hedgehog opens his mouth to speak, the echidna raises his hand to cut him off. "And don't give me the, 'he's had a hard life/he's been through terrible things/he has every reason to be the way he is', bullshit. You've had just as shitty of a life as he has, and you're probably the most innocent damn thing on this planet." Knuckles crosses his arms now, watching Sonic fidget where he stood. "Shadow does what Shadow wants, because he's a smug bastard who thinks he can get away with it. He's using you, so he can tear you apart from the inside out. Don't be the cliche boyfriend that gets himself into more trouble than its worth, just because you think you can 'help' him."

More silence followed, an awkward silence at that, as the pair stared intently at each other, emerald wavering under amethyst. Tails silently wonders if he should do something, and goes to before Sonic sighs and pinches the skin in between his eyes. "Just leave it be..." he murmurs quietly. "Don't sit there and assume you know everything, because you don't. Let me deal with Shadow."

Knuckles groans in exasperation, his hands going over his head and resting on top of it. "Fine. Whatever. Stubborn hedgehogs will be stubborn." He walks up to the cobalt hedgehog, talking a step too close to his personal space. The Blue Blur flinches and leans back, Knuckles getting in his face with a low voice. "But if this gets any worse, Ultimate Lifeform or not, I will find a way to kill him in the worst way possible. Got it?"

Sonic's eyes narrow, fawn arms crossing over the same colored chest. "I don't care. Just go."

"Tck!" the echidna huffs, pushing passed the younger mobian with a scowl, and then out the front door with a slam shut behind him. Both Sonic and Tails wince at the loud crack that followed, both expecting the door to fall down. When it didn't, the elder of the two looks almost timidly at his younger brother, a guilty frown over his muzzle, his brows furrowed upward in concern. "Sorry, bud..."

Tails takes in a breath, sighs, and then nods slowly. "It's fine, Sonic..."

The blue hedgehog raises a brow, sensing the discomfort in the kitsune. A pang of guilt hits him in the chest, and his triangular ears flatten to their sides. "I can uh...go if you want. I didn't mean to kick Knuckles out of _your_ workshop..."

The fox's eyes widen, the golden kit running up to his brother and grabbing his hand. "No, no! I want you to stay! Knuckles was just waiting for you, anyways...and technically...this is _our_ workshop, since we both built it together...and the Tornado's here..."

A soft, weak smile curved Sonic's lips, and he ruffled the yellow bangs atop the younger one's head. "Heh heh, I suppose you have a point..."

Tails smiles sweetly at his older brother, pulling his hand through the living room and into the back room, or the lab of his workshop. "That reminds me; I installed the finished Chaos Energy Tracker in the Tornado this morning, and it says there's an emerald nearby!"

Sonic's ears perk up at the mention of a potential Chaos Emerald, and he lets his brother take him though the lab and into the garage where the famous red plane sat looking polished and as bright as ever. It wasn't the original Tornado that Sonic had built so many years ago, but it was made from the old parts left behind that had survived the crash during the EggCarrier fight a while ago. Tails had felt bad about losing Sonic's beloved plane, despite building the X Tornado afterwards, and the two had scavenged for the old parts and rebuilt the plane together. Sonic smiled easily at the sight of it, noticing the fox had added some things to it and cleaned up the scratches from their last battle. "Looking good," he complements, and the fox smiles brightly and rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I replaced the engine with one that can alternate between Chaos Energy and solar power, and it stores the extra energy and keeps it until the Tornado needs it." He smiles and waves his tails behind him. "In case of emergency and all that... I also added a cloak and shield to it," he adds.

Sonic couldn't help but grin. "Sweet. That'll all come in handy big time."

Tails seems to glow from his brother's words, and takes his hand excitedly and pulls him over the red and white machine. "Oh yeah, I also added a back up propeller! If this one is damaged, all I have to do is press this button," he points to a small blue one on the control panel," and the damaged one will fall off and the new one will immediately replace it! I also have plans for a self-repairing system that will automatically fix any part of the plane that's damaged in a battle, using nanites!"

Sonic raises a brow, placing a hand on his hip. "Nanites?"

Tails nods enthusiastically and jumps on the wing of the plane, sitting with his legs dangling merrily. "Yup! To put it simply, nanites are little, microscopic robots that can form into nearly anything you command them to. I'm working on a personal code that only I can operate, so that way the nanites will only respond to me."

The Blue Blur frowns thoughtfully, pursing his lips. "So, wait...you said that these robots are microscopic, so you'll need what? Hundreds? Thousands of them? How're you gonna make all of 'em?"

The eight year old waves the other away as if it weren't a problem. "Easy! I'm working on the machine that will automatically make them for me. I just need to feed it the right parts for it to work. It'll also program my code into them so that way I can control them right away without a problem. Once that's done, I'll install them into the Tornado's defense system, and anytime we're hit, all I'll need to do is press the right code in and they'll patch up the spots that were damaged!"

Sonic smiles. "Wow, you really got this thought through. The only thing I recommend is that you keep this quiet. You might give a certain someone the wrong ideas..."

"Ugh, Eggman," Tails groans. "Yeah, I nearly forgot about that little problem. The last thing we need is him making his own nanites to rebuild his robots..."

"Exactly," Sonic chuckles. "Despite that, I think it's a cool idea."

Tails beams, jumping down from the wing and waving his tails happily. "I hoped you would!"

Sonic wraps an arm around the fox, pulling him in for a side hug. "Tails, there isn't much you do that I don't thinks a cool idea, besides last year's Christmas tree..."

The fox blushes guiltily. "Yeah...not one of my better days..."

The blue mobian chuckles again and nudges the other forward. "So what about that emerald, huh? We going, or do you have any other projects you wanna share with me?"

He winks, and Tails laughs lightly. "Whoops, I almost forgot about the emerald... I was just excited to talk with you."

Sonic laughs, before jumping up and standing on the wings of his trademark plane, right in the center as always. "I know, bud, and I enjoy listening to ya."

Tails smiles oncemore and runs over, hopping into the plane, pulling the seat belts over his shoulders. He presses a button to start the new engine, and a healthy purr rumbles as the Tornado sparks to life. The propeller begins to spin as the garage door opens, the runway lifting up and out of the ground, pushing any and all trees aside as it lifted up for take off. "Okay!" the fox cheers, grabbing ahold of the wheel. "Let's go get that emerald!"

Sonic smiles and laces his fingers behind his head of quills, lifting his nose to the air and smelling the fresh breeze as they pulled out, the fight with Knuckles and the thought of Shadow just little ticks in the back of his head. It was so easy to forget his worries and troubles when it came to Tails. The little fox was a contagious bundle of sunshine, and Sonic couldn't help but catch the optimism in order to keep the young mobian's spirit up.

The Tornado slowly pulls itself outside the garage, and only a second later, it shoots forward up the runway, and up into the air. Tails's namesakes flew out behind him, while Sonic's cobalt quills waved and ruffled in the wind. The red bi-plane flew smoothly across the sky, a bright streak of white left behind it as it tore through clouds and split them apart. Sonic turns an eye back to his companion, raising a brow in curiosity, his voice spoken up over the howl of wind and the roar of the plane.. "So, how far exactly is this emerald?"

"Well," Tails starts, pressing a few buttons on the console in front of him. A white dot appears on a green map before him, and he presses a few small, yellow buttons beside it. The screen zooms in on the dot, showing a more detailed view of the selected area. "Far, but not too far. The radar is pretty strong, so it reaches out pretty good ways away."

Sonic nods, a small smirk growing on the side of his muzzle. "So...how far exactly?"

Tails rolls his eyes, smiling knowingly. "Alright; rough guess... how does ten minutes sound?"

The Blue Blur groans with exaggeration, plopping down on his rear and turning his body, laying down on the plane with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed. A yawn passes his lips and he shrugs, closing his eyes. "Too long. Wake up me when we get there..."

Tails laughs at his brother's impatience.

* * *

The echidna stepped up the stones leading to the Master Emerald, grumbling under his breath about stupid hedgehogs. Rouge sighs as she watches him, crossing her arms under her large chest. "He's not stupid," she speaks up, making him jump in surprise. "He's in love, and he doesn't know what to believe or how to handle it."

Knuckles scowls, turning around and sitting on the top grey step in front of the emerald. "But he knows what Shadow's doing is wrong! That bastard's abusing him in every way possible, and he's letting it happen! Sonic is more than capable of fighting him and putting him in his place!"

Rouge shakes her head, walking over and sitting down beside the conflicted and agitated guardian. "Knux, hon, you wouldn't understand it unless you've been through it yourself. You don't get to choose who you fall in love with. It just happens, and its beyond your control until a time comes when you're mentally and emotionally strong enough to pull away from it, and even then it's probably the hardest thing you will ever have to do."

Knuckles shakes his head. "But that doesn't mean Sonic has to go and let Shadow hurt him like this."

Rouge sighs, looking forward with sad, teal eyes. "Love is when you care for someone more than yourself, and you would do anything for them to be happy, alive, and well, no matter what the cost. Sonic wants nothing more than Shadow to be happy, alive, and well, no matter what the cost, despite what his better judgment says. He can't help it, hon. He's in love, and love changes you, especially if it's the first time you're experiencing it."

The echidna's brows furrow, and he rests his chin on his hands. "So love is basically a way to brainwash someone and kill ninety-percent of their morals. The Sonic I know wouldn't put up with this. He'd beat the shit out of Shadow. Doesn't he realize he's delusional?"

Rouge smiles pitifully. "I'm sure Sonic is more than self-aware. He's just confused and hurt because he knows it wrong, but he wants to help Shadow all the same. He doesn't want to hurt Shadow because he thinks it will only make things worse."

"Do you have any idea why Shadow's doing it to begin with? I mean, what does he have to gain?"

The female hums quietly in thought, her eye lids falling halfway as she stared into the distance. "...I won't lie when I say Shadow is a little screwed up in the head. He was raised by a group of power-hungry, psychopathic humans who trained him to be a war machine. His father was an alien lord who wiped out hundreds of planets and tried to massacre everyone on this one. His only 'relative' to date is a maniac who's trying to take over the world and turn everyone into robots, and who has also used him as a weapon as well. The only two people who ever showed him love and kindness were both murdered; Maria right in front of his eyes, and Gerald on live TV. Because Eggman was the one who woke him up, with an impaired memory, the only way Shadow thinks he can do anything or get anything is by taking it by force on his own. He doesn't want to open up to anyone because he doesn't want to lose them like he lost Maria...the list goes on..."

Knuckles was quiet as she spoke, and gave her a minute of silence to see if she was done. When not another word was spoken from her, he turns and meets her eyes. "Then why is he hurting Sonic?"

She frowns, really thinking it through. She felt like the answer was right there, but she couldn't seem to grasp it. "Maybe..." she murmurs softly. "Maybe he wants Sonic to hate him... Maybe he wants us to hate him. Maybe this is his way of forcing everyone away from him, even if it hurts him. After all, he is immortal. Sonic isn't...well...I mean I don't think he is. It's questionable, really, considering he's still alive as of today," she chuckles, "but maybe he thinks that if he pushes everyone away, he won't have to worry about getting too attached and causing more pain."

Knuckles groans and rubs his eyes. "Then why'd he get with Sonic in the first place?"

Rouge shrugs. "He's in love, sweetheart. Maybe he didn't realize or think of any of this until after he and Sonic got together. Some sort of flashback or something must have triggered this all to start happening."

The echidna closes his eyes, his mind processing all of it a bit at a time. "Then maybe it would help him to know that Sonic is immortal..."

Rouge freezes, turning to look at the echidna with wide eyes. "W-What?"

Knuckles sighs and opens his eyes. "Sonic's Chaos Energy is strong, probably the strongest, and it's only gotten stronger. You remember, don't you? Shadow ran out of energy during the ARK battle, but Sonic didn't. Shadow is supposed to be the Ultimate Lifeform, yet he couldn't even outlast Sonic. You've seen Sonic take hits that could kill a normal mobian, or even me, and get up like it's nothing. He fought Chaos itself for Mobius's sake, and won. The thing is," Knuckles starts, looking at the bat with a stern face. "Sonic's energy is so strong, that even if he were to get struck through the heart, his energy would heal him fast enough to keep him just barely alive. He could be 'brought back to life' so to speak with enough energy. He hasn't aged since he turned sixteen. Why, is because as you get older, you're body gets weaker and closer to death. His energy is keeping him young and at his prime. He'll stay alive as long as his energy lets him."

The white bat's mouth was open just slightly in shock. "So...I mean...does he know this?"

The echidna shrugs. "I don't know, and if he doesn't, than I hope he doesn't have to find out the hard way. It's just...if what you say about Shadow is true, than what if we tell him that Sonic's immortal?"

The female frowns, her eyes narrowing in thought. "It might help, but it all depends on what he's afraid of losing. Sonic's life, or Sonic's love."

"Wait, what?"

She sighs. "What if Sonic moves on and leaves Shadow? It'll kill him. Sonic is something special to him, hon. He's the only one of us who has really put an effort in to getting to know Shadow, and getting him to open up. He may be afraid that Sonic may die, but he might also be afraid that Sonic will leave him anyway."

The echidna blinks, dumbfounded, before groaning in distress. "Oh, this is just one big headache! Why can't he just wait it out and see?"

"Because the more and more time he spends with Sonic, the more and more attached he'll get with him. And this could also be a scenario: Remember when Shadow disappeared after the Black Arms battle and we didn't see him for quite a while? Even I started to think that something may have happened to him. You saw the way Sonic paced around everywhere helplessly. Those two were already getting close beforehand, and then Shadow just disappears... What if something happens to Shadow? What if Shadow disappears for good, or it turns out he can die? What if Shadow doesn't want Sonic to be upset or get depressed because of it? He rather have Sonic hate him, instead of being upset that something happened to him."

Knuckles said nothing, feeling a bit of empathy for that scenario. He could understand it somewhat... "Still doesn't make this right."

"I know."

"So what if," the guardian starts, "it isn't any of the above, and Shadow's just a complete, selfish douche?"

"Then," Rouge starts, her voice lowering, "I'll kill him myself."

The venom on her tone alone was enough to make even Knuckles wince. "You know," he starts slowly, "you seem to have a lot of knowledge about this stuff."

She blinks, before giving him a sad smile. "I was in a sticky relationship myself a few years back. I left him, of course. It hurt like hell but, it was for the best. Now I'm flyin' solo for now...although..." she leans forward, making the other's eyes widen slightly. "I would never hesitate to be with a man who's loyal, protective, honest, handsome, and loving. Know anyone in particular I may be interested in, darling?" she asks in a suave, playful voice.

An uncomfortable heat spread from his chest to his muzzle, turning it a suspicious shade of pink. "Not at the top of my head, no," he grumbles, turning away from her. She giggles and stands to her feet. "Aw, what a shame... Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. Anywho," she begins making her way down the steps. "I say we just let Sonic be for now. I promised him I'd step back, and I would only get involved if something starts up again. I want to see if those two can figure themselves out. It'd be better for them if they did, ya know? They need to learn eventually."

Knuckles scoffs and crosses his arms. "Highly unlikely, especially with how Sonic has been about it."

She chuckles. "I know, hon. Just give them a moment, will ya? It's irritating, and I don't like seeing Sonic hurt so bad, but I want to know what we're dealing with here exactly. If Shadow has a valuable reason behind what he's doing, I want to help Sonic help him. If he's doing it just for his own amusement, then well..."

"He dies," Knuckles says without a bit of hesitation. She nods. "Definitely. Slowly and painfully. As I said, let's just wait and see."

"I hate waiting."

"You sound like Sonic."

* * *

The fallen leaves crunched under the pair's tennis shoes as they hiked through the thickest part of the Great Forest. There were too many trees around to find a proper place to land the Tornado, so the two hopped off and made through the old fashioned way. The breeze was a bit colder, despite the sun shining brightly towards the west. Sonic stretched his arms above his head, before a particular cold wind swept him and he pulled them back down, shivering slightly. "You can tell Winter's 'round the corner," he mumbled.

Tails nods quickly in agreement, his namesakes pulling closer to his body to keep himself warm. "I probably should have brought a coat with me," he says, his eyes glued to the scanner in his hands that was slowly leading them towards the Chaos Emerald. There was a soft beeping from the yellow device, getting louder and more frequent as they pushed through the thick growth.

Sonic yawns and Tails looks up with a small frown, glancing at his brother in the corner of his eyes. "Hey, Sonic?"

"Whattup?" the hedgehog replies with a raised brow, looking back at the golden kit. He immediately noticed the concerned look on his brother's face, and he frowns, as if already knowing what Tails was going to say.

"Are you okay?"

Sonic sighs. If he had made a million dollar bet, he would have just won the jackpot. _Should have seen that one coming..._

"I'm fine, bud. Don't worry about any of it."

The vulpine shakes his head. "I can't help _but_ worry, Sonic. You look terrible, and after what Knuckles said-"

"Don't worry about what that knucklehead said," Sonic interrupts, his brows furrowing slightly. "Knuckles likes to think he knows everything, but he just doesn't. I know what I'm doing, buddy. Nothing Shadow says or does is a problem for me." He looks at the doubtful kit, giving him a flashing smile. "There's nothing that can keep me down, bud. You know that."

Tails gives him a weak smile, hoping that was true. "Whatever you say, Sonic. Just...promise that you'll let us help you if things get too out of control, okay?"

The hero blinks, looking away...his eyes set forward...and he shrugs. "If it makes you feel better, then yeah, I promise."

Tails nods and looks forward as well. As long as he had Sonic's word, he would be okay.

The sound of rushing water then captured both mobians' ears, and Tails smiles brightly as the sight of a large cliff comes into view. A rushing waterfall as clear as crystals poured down over the side of the cliff, filling a small oasis below. Tall weeping willows grew along the sides of the water, their roots growing down and swaying along the current. Bushes and shrubs of red, orange, and yellows shook their leaves into the water, while blue mist flowers dripped clear droplets off their petals. Little orange fish swam in the pond, most of them together, running away from the approaching mobians as their feet imprinted the beige sand where the water lapped rhythmically. Sonic whistled and smiled, and Tails gaped with sparkling blue eyes. The scanner in his hands was going nuts, the beeps loud and one right after the other.

"Let me take a guess: the emerald's in the water, huh?" Sonic says, a drop of sweat going down the side of his head with a weak smile. The yellow kitsune beside him laughs lightly, holding the scanner out for the aquaphobic to take.

"Yup! I'll go and get it so you don't have to get your quills wet," he chirps. Sonic chuckles. "Fine by me. Be careful."

The fox waves him away and turns around, winding his tails up and spinning them out behind him, flying over the water until he was right above where the scanner said the emerald should be. Taking in a deep breath, he dives head first into the water with a splash, sending droplets spraying out across the pond. Sonic wouldn't admit he flinched at the sound of the water splashing, and instead played with the scanner in his hands.

He hadn't wanted Tails to get involved with him and Shadow at all. It was bad enough Knuckles was involved. Rouge sort of had a right to be, considering as she was a close friend of Shadow's, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. He rather just deal with the problem himself, and not let the world jump in with him.

A soft sound, like buzzing, brought his attention skyward. He frowns, his eyes scanning for anything unusual, the buzzing sound becoming louder.

He tensed the moment he found the source of the buzzing.

A pod that could belong to none other than Dr. Eggman zoomed by through the clearing, high above the cliff and followed by strange, hawk shaped robots. A scowl curves Sonic's lips as he watches the madman disappear, considering going after him.

 _Can't leave Tails..._ he thinks with exasperation. Noting that the doctor seemed to be heading south, he turns his attention back to the water, his foot tapping impatiently. What was taking Tails so long?

Just as the thought passed through, another splash of water shot up as Tails resurfaced. A gasp broke his lips and he smiled, holding up the bright, cyan Chaos Emerald as water dripped down from it. Sonic grins and holds a thumbs up, taking a few steps back as Tails stepped to shore and shook himself off. "I didn't think I would be able to get it in time," he said, beaming with pride. "But I did it!"

The Blue Blur smiles and hands his friend the scanner. "I'd ruffle your hair, but you're all wet. Awesome job, Tails."

The fox seemed to glow at the praise, turning off the scanner and handing his brother the emerald. "So anything interesting happen?"

"Yes, actually," Sonic said, his gaze drifting back up to the cliff. "Eggman just flew by with some new robots. They went south."

The fox's eyes widen. "Do you think he was looking for the emerald?"

The hedgehog shrugs. "Who really knows? It'd probably be a good idea though if we collected the other ones."

Tails nods. "Just in case."

"Always," Sonic smiles.

* * *

Sonic frowned as he stepped through the front door, shutting it slowly behind him. "Shads?" He didn't feel the bio-hog's Chaos energy within the house, or surrounding it, so he made the safe assumption he wasn't home. With a sigh of what would be taken as relief, he trudges though the house. Stepping into the kitchen, he tosses the Chaos Emerald up and catches it with his other hand, his mind set on food. His stomach growled as he stepped up to the fridge, but a scowl curved his lips once he opened it. Hardly anything to eat. With a groan he closes the fridge and grabs the list from the door. Tossing it on the counter, he grabs a pen from a nearby drawer and begins writing down a list of food. He'd have to go shopping tomorrow for sure.

After that was said and done, he turns away and goes over to the pantry. Opening it gave him the same horrid results as the refrigerator, and with an angry groan, he turns about face and makes his way to the front door.

His mind focused on the small chili dog stand he had seen on his way home...

* * *

His eyes forced themselves open at the sound of a door closing. Rubbing said eyes, he rolls over, his hands grabbing the blankets as he did. His emerald irises fall on the red lights of the clock, which red brightly, "3:48 AM".

He watches Shadow leave the bathroom, probably done showering, and meets his eyes as he crawls in bed with him. The ruby red irises seemed hard and darkened, and he could only frown worriedly. Shadow was obviously in a bad mood...

"Go back to sleep," sounded more like an order, a threat, than anything, and Sonic scoffed and rubbed his eyes again. "Hello to you too..." he mumbled.

Shadow lifts the blankets up over their shoulders, before reaching for the blue hero and pulling him over. Sonic lets the dark hedgehog wrap an arm around his waist, his face burying in the white fluff of Shadow's chest. He breathed in, breathed out, and closed his eyes. He felt a kiss press against the top of his head and he smiled softly. Using his Chaos energy, he reaches out towards the darker hedgehog's own energy and holds onto it.

He fell asleep with the weird feeling that something was...different about it. Wasn't Shadow's energy supposed to be warmer than this?

* * *

The being grunts and squints his eyes open. Where was he? He lay on his side on a cold, rocky flooring, his hands bound behind his back by some sort of electric shackle. His ankles were bound as well, and the same, orange electricity was around his head, over his muzzle. His eyes narrow as they try to focus on anything and everything in front of him, but upon seeing nothing but darkness after some time, he growled in frustration and closed his eyes again, this time narrowed.

He was in pain from head to toe, and every time he tried to move in the slightest, a sharp pain would strike through his body, wringing a hoarse scream from him. Cold sweat coated his ruffled, dirty fur pelt, and his breathing was forced to come in harsh, quick rasps. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and when a cold wind hit him, he felt something wet along his back, thick and most likely blood.

He groans again, agitated beyond belief.

"Ah," a low, smooth voice said from the darkness. "You're awake..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _The reviews made each and every day I got them. You guys have no idea how much reviews motivate me to write. All I can say, is thank you for that._

 _So what do you guys think? Is Shadow an asshole, or do you like to believe that he has a motive behind his actions?_

 _Yes, I made Sonic immortal. If you've read my Taken (from Life of a Hedgehog), you would understand where I got the Chaos theory from... It's also a very important piece of this story. Enjoy the immortality, people._

 _Should I ship Rouge and Knuckles in here? Or should I keep them the way I have them here? I haven't decided, and I wasn't gonna really do it, but if you want it, it wouldn't be a problem._

 _I've decided the world will be from the games. I usually use Sonic X or Archie for my worlds, but I'll use the game world for this story. This story takes place sometime after Sonic Lost World._

 _Fun tip: I was going to put some smut in the end of this chapter, but I'll save it for the next one :D_

 _Oh, I also made a Sonadow Community and have already archied some stories. I'm looking for staff members, so if that interests you, send me a PM!_


	3. Three

**Author's Note:**

 _You know what makes me happier than a cat on catnip? Logging into Gmail and seeing ten different emails from FanFiction, labeled 'Review' or 'The following has added your story to their alert list' . Really makes me want to paraglide through the house with my bed sheets XD_

 _Anyway, you all had some interesting opinions on the last chapter, and koodos to our Guest who caught on the ending of the chapter...your rambling made my day!_

 _One quick thing I forgot to mention: This is a AU where Shadow doesn't fall after the ARK battle. Sonic saves him (just barely) and Shadow's okay. Since Shadow never really got his entire memory back in SA2, the only difference in Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, is the fact that he knows who Maria is, he knows who Sonic and the others are, and he has a little more info on who he is. This is important to the story, otherwise I wouldn't have told you at all. Trust me, people. I gots this shiz ;D_

 _Enough of my blabbering, enjoy the story (with love from Anonymoux of course)! Well...don't enjoy it if you don't like violence I guess...I don't know..._

 _Why is it that 90% of fanfiction authors like to torture Sonic? I blame Sonic Unleashed._

* * *

 **Three**

Sometimes he hated his life.

With a groan he rolls over, his eyes narrowed sharply. The room was lit up just a bit more than it had been who knows how many hours ago. How long has he even been here? His Chaos Energy had healed his back just enough for him to move without too much pain, but the electric shackles would shock him if he was too sudden. With another, hoarse groan, he slowly, carefully, pushes himself up into a sitting position. His breathing came in rough pants, and his heart pounded fiercely in his chest. He leaned up against a rocky wall, which seemed old and crumbling, and was too cold for comfort. His eyes scan the room around him, noticing just how large it was. Probably twenty feet tall and double the width, with no door or windows in sight.

The cold was nerve racking, and he couldn't help the shiver from traveling down his spine. How on Mobius did he get here?

He remembered a dark figure, and that was about it. The figure would come, go, come, go, and each and every visit would result in immense pain. He never could fully see his attacker, as the room seemed to turn just as dark when the being arrived.

Focusing on the little Chaos Energy he had, he let the warm aura surround himself.

This time, he would be ready.

* * *

Hazy emerald eyes were forced open too soon. He felt a warm kiss on his neck, then a soft nip, and then that nip turned into a bite.

With a yelp he arches his back, gaining a chuckle from the dark hedgehog above him. His fawn arms were held just slightly above his head, while his blue legs were spread out and lifted up by ebony knees. He groans and shakes his head, blinking away his blurry vision to focus on his tormentor above. "Really, Shadow? It's too early for this..."

Said onyx hedgehog shrugs without a care, leaning down and pressing another kiss, this time on his chest. Sonic's brows furrow, his irritation skyrocketing. "Are you even listening to me? Get off, Shadow. I have stuff to do today!"

The dark immortal pauses in his actions, looking up at the Blue Blur with a sideways smirk. "Oh, yes, the shopping list. I'll get it later." He then drags his tongue up over the fawn fur, before pressing another kiss into his neck. Sonic groans and closes his eyes, his ears bending backwards angrily. "Get off!"

Sharp teeth sank into his neck, and a high pitched meowl broke from his lips. His eyes opened, widened in fright, before they squeezed back shut. He growls -a dark warning- and bucks his hips, trying to pull his arms from the other's tight grip, and kick his legs out of the hold they were forced in. "Shadow!"

A sudden loosen in the grip on his hand was just enough for him to get an arm free, and he did so with much haste. He immediately starts swinging his fist into the other's back, cursing the ebony hedgehog and his creator for being so toughly built. Shadow chuckles and takes his free hand, ignoring the unwilling male's furious punches and colorful words, and reaches down and under him, his fingers finding and grabbing a tight hold of a blue tail.

He yanks it rather harshly, causing the Blue Blur to yelp and pause in his attack, blinking in surprise. "Move a muscle," Shadow growls in a husky breath, "and I'll cut it off."

Sonic swallows, not doubting the other or his threat. Shadow would do it, he knew. With the way he's been lately, he wasn't going to test him or anything he said. He instead glares at the older hedgehog, meeting ruby irises with his own blazing emerald ones. "You're an asshole!"

Shadow scoffs and grins, sitting up just a bit and letting go of Sonic's other wrist. He repositions himself just slightly, leaning from one side to the other, taking a strong hold of blue hips with one hand, and a handful of quills in the other behind the hedehog's head. Sonic growls, and Shadow leans down, his voice a suave whisper in his blue ear. "But you love it, otherwise you wouldn't still be here with me, now would you?"

White teeth bite down on a shaking fawn lip, while the cobalt hero tried to turn his head and look away. When the grip on his quills tightens, he settles for simply closing his eyes instead, not wanting to meet the other's gaze. "The only reason I'm here," he mutters, causing black ears to perk up in interest, "is to figure out what the hell is wrong with you."

"Hmph," the hand on Sonic's waist travels downward, its thumb pressing down on the sensitive area in between two, strong blue legs. The young hedgehog shudders, grunting in distaste as he tries to hold back the yip in his throat. "I beg to differ," Shadow argues, pressing his thumb inside that blue pouch.

"Nnhh," Sonic groans, his hips bucking with the hot touch below. He blinks his eyes, his dark lashes fluttering with the movement, and arches his back with a huff. Shadow smirks like a demon, enjoying every moment of it.

His thumb pushes down even harder on a swelling tip, shooting unwanted pleasure and pain throughout the blue body. Sonic meowls softly, his eyes narrowing, one of his legs kicking in protest. "Sh-Shadow, s-stop!" his voice cracks.

Said hedgehog only pushes down harder, painfully, wringing out a low whine in the back of the hero's throat. "Sh-Shadow!"

A sharp nail digs into the sensitive flesh, the owner of that devilish hand smirking in victory as the male below him bucked and kicked and tore at the sheets beneath him. _"Shadow!"_

Another whine, this one louder, escapes him as a warm, thick liquid can be felt dripping down the abused tip, the scent of copper hitting his nose. It hurt, stung, and he could only wonder why on Mobius would Shadow enjoy doing this to him.

His blue ears were flattened submissively to their sides, his tail tucked between his legs. He hated it, hated submitting, but Shadow wouldn't stop hurting him until he did. Said biohog leans down now, pressing a gentle kiss on the side of his flushed muzzle. "That's good..." he coos in a quiet, warm voice as thick as honey. "You're mine and you know it."

He shivered, swallowing the lump in his throat, trying to turn his head again, away from Shadow and away from the pain. He hated those words, he hated the way Shadow dominated him like this. He hated submission, and he certainly hated the way Shadow thought he owned him.

Knowing he was going to be in trouble for this, he peaks open an eye, glaring at the Ultimate Lifeform above him. "Like hell I am!" he growls in a hoarse voice.

The darker hedgehog's eyes narrow sharply, and he removes his hand, grabbing ahold of a blue thigh, his nails digging into the soft flesh under the blue pelt. Sonic yelps as Shadow lifts him up just an inch, repositioning himself for the inevitable. "Oh?" he asks, an sharp-toothed smirk curving his tan lips. "I suppose I have to remind you of your place, then."

He slams his hips forward, his hard member ripping open the younger male below him as he forced his way inside. A short scream broke Sonic's lips, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as pain shot through his system, through his back, his stomach, up to his chest. His arms fly up, his fawn furred fingers grabbing a tight, death grip like hold on the ebony spines on Shadow's back, his face burying into the white fur on his chest. He choked on a sob as he felt Shadow pull out nearly all the way, before slamming back in just as painfully as the first time.

Shadow hums, placing his muzzle into the blue fur atop the younger one's head, breathing in the other's scent. His one hand still held onto those blue quills, which were flattened against their owner's head. Shaky whimpers and whines could be heard from the blue hero, his body trembling against the slightly larger one.

"I warned you," Shadow whispered in a flattened ear. "You didn't listen, and now you're being punished."

A meowl was his only answer, and he pulls his hips back and slams them forward again.

Sonic's cries got louder and louder with each thrust, tears dropping down the side of his muzzle as pain shook his whole body. There was no pleasure whatsoever in Shadow's movements, just harsh shockwaves that tore him open and made him scream. A dark, crimson color leaked down and stained the sheets underneath him, mixed with a creamy, white color from Shadow's own arousal.

"Now," Shadow growls, "Tell me you're mine and I'll stop."

Sonic sobs, shaking his head in defiance. Another painful stab in his rear made him cry out in pain, and Shadow huffs in annoyance. "Say it, Sonic."

"N-n-no..." the shaky hero whimpers, his stubbornness nagging him at the back of his head.

Another thrust, another cry of pain.

"I can go all day, hedgehog," Shadow growls, "Say it."

Sonic shakes his head again, biting his bottom lip as more pain sailed through him. The hand on his thigh below reaches upward and pressed down on his crotch again, this time harder than the last. A strangled cry tore from him, and Shadow growls in frustration. "Damn it, Sonic!"

His thrusts were harder and faster, the pain becoming unbearable. With a huff Shadow leans down into a blue neck, his teeth sinking into the usual spot. Focusing on his own Chaos Energy, he locks on to Sonic's, and grabs a tight hold of it...

...and completely twists it.

Sonic screamed in agony, feeling his energy be manipulated in the worst way possible. Knuckles had always told him that getting your energy messed with is probably the worst thing that can happen to you, but Sonic never listened. Chaos Energy controlled nearly everything in his body, and when Shadow messed with it like this, it sent him over the edge.

 _"S-S-Sh-Shadow! Shadow stop! Shadow s-stop! Shadow, please, s-stop it!"_

The dark hedgehog didn't listen, only increased the hold he had on the hot, wonderful energy of his counterpart. Sonic sobbed, white clouding his vision. He was hot, in pain, and had no control of himself whatsoever. _"SHADOW PLEASE!"_

Another thrust, another wave of energy, and that was it.

 _"OKAY YOU WIN! I'M YOURS! I'M YOURS! SHADOW, PLEASE!"_

And then that was it. Finally, a wave of pleasure, too immense for him to handle, fell over him in one great sweep that made him open his mouth in a silent scream. Shadow purrs in his neck, his hands rolling over the blue body gently and with care, as if he weren't just torturing him only a second ago. He feels a sticky, warmth fill him as Shadow reaches his climax inside him, and he whines as he follows suit afterwards. He felt numb and broken, his body trembling and shaking, each and every breath that left him hard and forced. His heart drummed in his chest, his torso heaving. Warm kisses lapped away the tears on his muzzle, making him meowl and turn away.

"Was that so hard?" Shadow purrs softly, scratching behind a blue ear. Sonic didn't get to answer, as he fell into a sleep that was strong enough to be a coma.

* * *

The white bat looks up with sudden interest, her large ears standing straight on her head as the black and red antihero stepped into the room. The room itself was fairly large, and held the necessary equipment for G.U.N.'s soldiers before they went on their specified missions. Lockers adorned the walls on the left as you entered, and rows of shelves where lined in the center, filled with folded uniforms of all kinds, communicators, belts, shoes, handcuffs, and more. The far wall possessed a large, metal grate locker, holding different kinds of weapons locked tight. The room right next to this one held more of the weapons; these ones here were customed for their specified user.

Rouge stands up from where she had been kneeling on a bench, tying the laces of a new pair of black boots she wore. She adorned a long pair of black pants that were tight on her hips and thighs, but flared out towards the bottom, which now fell over said boots. She wore a slightly bulging, black hoodie, a large pocket in the front, and a hood resting on her back in between her large wings. She was obviously getting ready for a mission, yet seemed in no hurry to get to where she was required to be.

She crosses her arms over her large chest, raising a brow at the dark hedgehog that had joined her. "Well, look who it is. Haven't seen you in a while, sunshine. Where've you been?"

The onyx hedgehog ignores her, going to a locker with his name on it, turning the dial of the lock on the handle to open it. She huffs at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Hello? Mobius to Shadow? You there?"

He turns his head just enough to give her a glare. "I'm not in the mood to talk. Leave me be."

Bright, teal eyes roll at that, and the female walks up to his locker, putting a hand on it before he could open it all the way. His eyes narrow sharply, ruby red flashing dangerously.

"Shadow," Rouge starts in a low tone. "Let's talk about someone."

He turns and faces her fully now, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Because Sonic is my friend, and my friend is my business," she answers firmly, returning his glare with full force. "What's going on with you, hon? The Shadow I know and love wouldn't even dare lay a finger on Sonic."

Shadow's ears bend backwards, his brows furrowing. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think. There's nothing going on, so back off," he growls.

Rouge leans forward, challenging the Ultimate Lifeform. "I know damn well that you would never hurt someone you love, especially Sonic." Deciding to throw gas in the fire, she adds: "If you love him as much as you did Maria."

She didn't even get a chance to breathe before she felt herself up against the wall, held by her throat. Shadow was fuming, his grip on her neck a second a way from snapping it. Her eyes widen from the surprise attack, although it should of been expected. His voice lowers to a deep growl that would make anyone's hair stand on the back of their neck.

"I don't care who the hell you think you are," he starts slowly, "but you don't know me, nor anything about me, so I will say this one last time: Back. The Fuck. Off."

Rouge blinks, staring at the hedgehog in front of her with all the intensity in the world.

Her eyes narrow.

* * *

The two human soldiers walking down the metallic hallways both sighed in relief.

"Man," the first one chirps, scratching the top of his helmet. "I thought for sure we wouldn't make that one..."

The other one, a female, nods enthusiastically. "Why can't we just leave these types of jobs to Team Dark?"

The first one shrugs. "Beats me. Shadow hasn't been coming in, and Omega is still in Adabat helping with the repairs."

"So," the second starts, pulling off her helmet to reveal long, golden brown hair. "It's just Rouge and the rest of us? You know, it'd be nice if Sonic joined."

"Doubt it. From what I heard, he hates the Commander more than Shadow."

She raises a brow. "Really? Sonic? That's an odd one. Wonder why..."

He shrugs again, pulling at the collar of his disheveled uniform. "Maybe it's got something to do with arresting him a while back, although with the way the Commander fidgets around him, I have a feeling there's something else."

The female purses her lips and shrugs. "Oh well. I've never met Sonic personally, so I don't know how he is. He seems like a pretty nice guy."

The male grins. "Oh, he is. I actually got him to give me his autograph for Timothy. Kid nearly died of excitement."

"Aww," she smiles, glowing brightly. "That's sweet."

They were quiet as they turned the halls, before making their way down the last hallway at the end. "I'll go in and report to the Commander," the male offers, wringing a relieved sigh from his comrade.

"That's wonderful," she says with a deep breath. "I need to sit down an-"

A loud crash and explosion of debris caused both soldiers to cry out in shock, the wall to the left right in front of them exploding outwards. Shadow's back hit the wall with a painful crack, his eyes rolling back as his vision blurred. Both soldiers stare, dumbfounded, as Rouge steps through, pulling off her hoodie and tossing it on the floor. She only wore a black tank top underneath, revealing maybe too much of her chest. She runs a hand through her loose bangs, letting out a content huff.

"Never, _ever,_ lay your hands on me that way again!"

She turns and notices the soldiers, who were slowly backing away from the scene. "Oh, hi!" she cheers, pointing to her throat. "He choked me," she explains, and they both nod, wide eyed.

The doors at the end of the hall burst open, a few more soldiers running out, as well as Abraham Towers himself. The Commander stares, his orange and blue eyes darting from Rouge, to a slowly standing up Shadow, back to Rouge, and to the soldiers who were witness to the event.

"What...the _hell?!"_

* * *

Sonic groans and steps into the kitchen, feeling as if his body weighed more than a tub of cement. He limped his way over to the fridge, grabbing ahold of the handle as if it were some kind of life saver, and he swings it open, blinking.

"So much for 'getting it later,'" he grumbles under his breath, slamming the door shut with a snarl. He turns and looks at the blue lights on the microwave, scowling at the time. "Too late to go out today... at least on my own."

He was in no condition to go anywhere, especially with the way he looked. Ragged and ruffled, bandages covering various locations on his form, and he could hardly move without wobbling and tumbling.

His stomach rumbled in protest, not eating anything all day. With his metabolism, that rumble was a dangerous sound. "I need food..." he whines to himself, turning around and slowly, painfully sitting down on the floor.

He opens the freezer and peers inside, scanning for anything he could warm up. He reaches forward and grabs the box of corndogs, his mood only depressing.

"And not even any chili to have with them..."

He _needed_ to go shopping tomorrow. With a sigh he tosses the box back in the freezer, lifting his wrist to his eyesight. Shadow was going to kill him...

Pressing a button and two, he waits for the ring to register, and perks up when the two-tailed fox answers right away. _"Sonic? Are you okay?"_

"Yeah," he huffs at the annoying question. He's heard it too much of late. "Can you come get me? I don't have enough energy for a Chaos Control, and I can't run right now..."

The kitsune's eyes widen. _"Y-Yeah... I mean...did something happen?"_

Sonic groans and rolls his eyes. "Don't worry about it. Can you get here quick? I dunno when Shadow's coming back."

Tails nods without a bit of hesitation. _"I'm on my way, Sonic."_

* * *

"It's Shadow!" Rouge exclaims, throwing her arms up in the air. She was currently pacing back in forth in the Commander's office, with both Towers and her closest friend, Topaz, who was the Commander's apprentice and next in line. Both humans exchange confuzzled looks, before looking back at the furious bat. "What's going on, exactly?" Abraham asks, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Shadow hasn't been here like he's supposed to, and then suddenly you two are fighting in the middle of the hallways?"

The female mobian sighs, running her hands over her eyes. "It's...we don't know _what's_ wrong with him. He's been so...ugh...such an ass. He's not talking to any of us, he's hurting Sonic, he's-"

"He's what?" Topaz interrupts, eyes widening slightly. "Why would he hurt Sonic?"

Rouge shakes her head, throwing her hands up in a shrug. "I have no idea. Poor blue looks absolutely terrible, but wants to figure out what's wrong with him..."

The Commander raises a brow. "Am I...missing something?"

Both girls take turns frowning. Towers didn't know...

With a huff and sigh, Rouge sits down in the closest chair in front of the large desk. "Sonic and Shadow have been dating for the past, what...ten months now?"

Topaz nods, and the Commander, blinks, his eyes widened. "They're what?"

"Dating," Rouge says, slowly and clearly, as if she were talking to a child. "They are dating."

The human stares for a moment, before leaning back in his chair. "Well what the hell..."

A soft twitch of red lips curved upward in slight amusement, Rouge crossing her legs one over the other. "Yes, quite a surprise, isn't it? It wasn't a surprise when they first stated dating; those two were smitten with one another."

"What changed now?" the Commander asks, his brows furrowing. Rouge shrugs. "That's what we're trying to figure out, darling. One day they're cuddling with each other, the next Shadow's beating the shit out of Knuckles for even looking at Sonic."

Both Topaz and the Commander grimace, deep frowns curving their lips. The former of the two shakes her head. "But they seemed so happy together..."

Rouge shrugs and looks down with a sad frown. "I don't know, sweetheart. He got angry for me questioning him, so we fought. Sonic can't do much in his condition, and doesn't want us to get involved because he thinks he can handle it."

"His condition?" The Commander inquires, and Rouge nods grimly.

"I said he isn't doing good. He can hardly do much without looking like he's gonna fall over." She rests her chin in her hand, which was propped up by her elbow on the arm of her chair.

There was a thoughtful silence that followed, all three thinking on the matter and what they could do about it.

"We can question him?" Topaz suggests, "In the interrogation room?"

Rouge scoffs. "Ha! That'll be the day..."

The Commander holds up a hand, "We do have those Black Arm devices, that inhibit Shadow's power."

Rouge raises a brow, figuring the Commander would have kept those just in case he ever had a chance to use them, and looks at Topaz, who seemed light on the idea.

"Oh, alright. Just one thing...he left, so how are we going to catch him?"

Towers taps his fingers on his desk. "Sonic will."

The albino bat shakes her head. "Doubt it. Sonic wouldn't like the idea. He doesn't even want us involved to begin with, let alone G.U.N."

"He'll have to," the elder responds with a wave of his hand. "Unless you can think of a better way to do it?"

The bat frowns, not liking this. "Oh, jeeze. We'll see. I'll have to talk with Sonic, but I'm not making any promises."

The Commander nods. "Good. If Shadow's a threat to Sonic, then he's a threat to all of us as well."

Rouge chuckles dryly. "You just want to have an excuse to go after him."


	4. Four

**Author's Note:**

 _So, I was gonna do a chapter of either 'Shattered' or 'Welcome to My World' or maybe even finish a chapter of 'Under Surface', but..._

 _I have never gotten that many reviews at once in my life. Ever. What made it even better, was you guys all have some really interesting opinions and it's just so nice to hear how you guys feel, how the characters make you feel, and it lets me know that I'm doing good. I've been so motivated to write, write, write for this story, despite it being simply for practice._

 _And yes, Blaze my friend, I love favs just as much as reviews and follows ;D_

 _There's quite a bit of flashbacks and stuff in this chapter, kind of giving little sights of stuff to better help you guys understand more of the situation and why the characters are the way they are. Tell me guys if you want warnings or not. I prefer not to give warnings for each chapter, as you all know from the beginning that this is a dark story, and for those who like surprises, warnings will ruin it for them. Just expect anything to happen. There may or may not be quite a bit of smut in this chapter. Just gonna drop that one in there._

 _I'm just calling this story an AU. It's mainly Game-Canon, but with Sonic X references and Sonic the Comic (Fleetway) references. It also has Underground easter eggs in it, and their ages are a bit different. I don't know, and I don't care. All the flashbacks and info in this story is very important to the plot. I've used ideas from my story 'Demons', and 'Shattered'. If it's confusing, don't think about it ;D_

* * *

 **Four**

He let out a snarl and kicked the broken rubble in front of him, ignoring the shock from the electric shackles that went through him with the harsh movement. He had blacked out, again, and had missed his attacker, again. Whoever this was, they were able to black him out before he was even able to register what was happening. His irritation, his patience, was faltering. This last time the being had laughed at his failed attempts to fight, his voice dark and haunting.

With a huff of breath, he closes his eyes and leans back against the floor. He needed to figure out where he was, who he was with, and how to get out.

Whoever it was, obviously had a reason for their actions. The problem with this was that he couldn't figure out who it could possibly be. Was it someone seeking revenge? Was it someone he had met before and thought they were dead? His mind tried, struggled, to picture the face of a person who would fit such a title. No one came to thought.

On odd feeling of deja vu hit him, before exhaustion pulled him to sleep.

* * *

 _Ten months earlier..._

 _Sonic shivered just by looking at the stuff. White, white, white, white, as far as the eye can see. Pulling his jacket tighter around him, he lets out a sigh. He had a bad feeling when Towers had called him, nearly begging for his help. A mission he needed someone like Sonic in, someone who was fast, was the top fighter against Dr. Eggman, and who had strong endurance and the wonderful Chaos Energy._

 _The Heart of Holoska was the coldest place on Mobius, and the North Pole. Humans couldn't survive here, and mobians couldn't for much longer. However, being a life form made of Chaos Energy, those like Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog's had a better chance at surviving here than anyone._

 _The helicopter whirred as the snow flurried in the wind around it, the G.U.N. soldiers inside shivering just thinking about what could happen if something went wrong and the copter crashed..._

 _"Our sources have located one of Dr. Eggman's bases at the North Pole, the Heart of Holoska. Why he would have a base there puzzled us at first, but after further research we have discovered that he is building a weapon there that could cause massive damage to Mobius's Ozone Layer. If he succeeds, the damage would be enough for harmful solar winds and radiation to cause a massive increase of temperature, which in turn could not only melt both poles, raise the water level, but create a chain reaction of terrible storms that would tear us apart, and that's only the beginning of it all. It is very, very important that you destroy this weapon. You will be going in with Shadow."_

 _Sonic had to agree. There was no putting this one aside. Working with G.U.N. was something he would just have to put up with. Turning his head, he looks at Shadow, who was tightening the straps on his backpack. The dark hedgehog looked up, and their eyes met._

 _"We cannot risk losing our soldiers in the Heart of Holoska. There is no way for them to survive down there if something happens. You will be dropped off at one-half mile from the base, and the helicopter will turn back. You will both be given an amount of supplies that should last you each one week at the most. After destroying the base, you will go to the coordinates N8 C6 2259. There is a cave in that area that is slightly elevated from the surface. You will camp there until we are able to come and get you. We don't like leaving you there, but we just cannot risk anything. There is a chance that Dr. Eggman will send in fleets to see what happened right after you destroy the base, and if they attack our soldiers, there will be lives lost for nothing. This is our safest option."_

 _The moment emerald met ruby, they were averted, and Sonic focused on tightening his own bag's straps. Seeing as they were good, he takes in a deep breath. A week in the frozen cold with Shadow. Of course he had talked with Tails before he left, telling him of everything. He didn't trust G.U.N. to be left on their own while he was gone._

 _He hated Towers._

 _"Here it is, you two," one of the pilots called to the back, getting both Sonic and Shadow to perk up, adrenaline already pumping. "Do you need me to land, or...?"_

 _"We'll jump it," Sonic calls, as Shadow was already getting the door undone. The other soldiers brace themselves for the blast of cold air, and flinch when it hits harder than expected. Sonic and Shadow pulled their hoods up, and jumped, looking up just in time to see the door shut and the helicopter pull back. They could see the base in the distance; the metal structure seeming out of place in this winter wonderland._

 _Bracing themselves for a hard landing, Shadow activates his skates, and Sonic grins, curling slightly to press a small button on the side of his red sneakers. 'Anti-gravity. Gotta love it.'_

 _They hit the ground in a crouch each, snow flying up around them as their feet touched down. They dusted themselves off, exchanged a brief nod, and took off across the frozen desert._

 _The base itself was poking out in between a set of small mountains, which circled it like a crescent moon. Sonic remembered the stories he heard as a naive eight year old... 'A jolly old man named Santa Claus lives in the Crescent Mountains, making toys for all the good children on Mobius.'_

 _Well, Eggman was old, but he was certainly far from jolly._

 _The two made their way to the bottom of the base, tearing through the specially made robots for the harsh environment. Getting through the front door was easy enough, and finding the weapon was even easier._

 _The base_ was _the weapon._

 _Getting to the source of its power revealed some odd energy crystal that Shadow took and threw in his bag for later inspection, and moments later the detonators were set and ready to blow._

 _The sounds of lasers firing made the two jump, and sooner than later the base was on red alert, robots everywhere and aiming to kill. They jumped, dodged, tore, and raced through and around robots, trying to get out before the base went boom._

 _Sonic hisses as a laser hits him, and curses as one of the straps on his back singe away. Grabbing the last strap before it flies away, he follows Shadow up through the base, climbing higher. The ground exits were sealed, but that wasn't going to stop them._

 _The top had an opening just big enough for them to squeeze through, Shadow sliding through first, before turning and reaching down for his blue comrade._

 _The Blue Blur yelps as another laser nearly incinerates his left ear, holding onto his bag for dear life. "Just drop it!" Shadow yelled, and with another curse, Sonic let it fall, before giving his now free hand to Shadow, who pulled him up through the small space, the two jumping down the side and far away as possible before the whole area exploded._

 _They found the cave with Shadow's communicator, the map in it leading them directly to it. The cold was terrible, even for them, and they wasted no time getting a fire started with the supplies Shadow had in his bag._

 _Sonic huffs, kneeling in front of the fire, the supposed long lasting fire log splitting some as it lit up the small, dark cavern. The wind howled and roared outside, and he pulled his coat closer to his body. 'Probably should of worn pants...' he thinks to himself, disgruntled._

 _He looks up to see Shadow unrolling his sleeping back, which was human sized. "There's enough room for both of us to share," the onyx hedgehog speaks up, much to Sonic's surprise. Shadow? Share? Personal space and the Ultimate biohog really didn't mix too well. Sleeping in the same sleeping bag as someone didn't bother Sonic, just...it was Shadow._

 _The dark hedgehog, oblivious to his counterpart's trust issues and doubt, continues. "We'll stay warmer this way."_

 _'Conserve body heat and all that,' Sonic thought to himself with a small frown._

 _"Cool," he says out loud, getting up and going over to the bedding with a yawn. Shadow frowns and eyes the blue hero, noticing the wound on his shoulder. "There's a first aid kit in the bag..."_

 _Sonic shrugs it off with another yawn. "Ahh...don't worry about it. It'll be gone in a few hours."_

 _The other doesn't say much in response, but nods in understanding. They got in the sleeping bag together, a bit hesitantly at first, but after flattening their quills to not kill each other, they layed back-to-back and pulled the cover over their shoulders._

 _Sonic smirks. "You won't strangle me in your sleep, will you?"_

 _He heard a husky chuckle from behind him. "I think I would have more of a reason to be worried. I can only imagine how hard you kick in your sleep."_

 _The cobalt hero smiles. "Actually, I sleep like a rock. I'm use to sleeping with Tails, since he was so afraid of everything as a little kid." He pauses and closes his eyes. "The only injuries we ever had was the time he kicked me in the crotch while having a nightmare."_

 _Shadow actually laughed at that, which not only surprised Sonic, but astounded him. He continues with a grin. "He woke up scared because I wasn't in bed, and then he freaked out even more because I was on the floor curled up in a ball. He thought the monster got me. I never told him."_

 _Shadow rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. A part of him was glad they weren't facing each other, or he'd probably look like an idiot. Sonic frowns then, his brows furrowing. "And if you ever tell him, Ultimate Lifeform or not, I will murder you."_

 _"Sure," the darker hedgehog smirked, mentally charting it down for later use._

 _"I mean it."_

 _Shadow said nothing, knowing Sonic was grinning behind him with that same, flashy-toothed smile he always had. Said blue hedgehog yawns, his ears flicking. "I know this one time," he starts, "When we were sleeping, Tails accidentally rolled into my quills. Poor kid had bandages on his face for days. I felt so bad."_

 _Shadow frowns, closing his eyes. "It's not like it was your fault."_

 _Sonic shrugs. "Eh, but after that, I started sleeping facing him instead."_

 _There was a short moment of silence, before Shadow spoke up. "Maria use to put my quills into ponytails."_

 _Sonic grins. "Cream does that to me all the time. Somehow, someway, she never once has gotten hurt."_

 _Shadow gives a small smile. "Neither did Maria."_

 _The blue hero chuckles. "Some kind of magic girl thing they do."_

 _His counterpart smirks. "That's what Gerald always said."_

 _Sonic smiles softly, enjoying the light mood. Another setting of silence followed, but it was a warm and comfortable silence. A thought hit the cobalt male after a while, and he chuckled to himself. "Kintobor could never touch my quills without getting pricked."_

 _Shadow's ears perked up, and he opened his eyes to watch the fire. "How often was that?"_

 _Sonic shrugs. "Every time he bathed me, every time he tried to comb me. When I was sitting in his lap when he was at his desk, when I did something wrong and he tried to catch me..." He hears Shadow chuckle, and smiles sadly. "When that happened though, he threatend to blunt them."_

 _"I can relate to that one," the darker hero replied. Sonic laughs lightly. "Get into trouble in the ARK?"_

 _Shadow shrugs. "Sometimes. I do remember sneaking into the kitchen with Maria on Christmas and eating ninety-percent of the desserts."_

 _Sonic laughs, imagining an eight year old Shadow stuffing his face with Christmas cookies. Shadow smirks. "I don't regret any of it."_

 _The Blue Blur smiles, elbowing his counterpart. "Can you imagine the trouble we would have gotten into if we grew up together?"_

 _Shadow rolls his eyes. "We probably would have drove everyone insane."_

 _Sonic grins. "Definitely."_

 _Another moment of silence, before Sonic speaks up a final time. "Have you found anywhere to live yet?"_

 _"No, not yet."_

 _Sonic hums, before looking back. "Why don't you just stay with me, then? You're basically living there when you're not at G.U.N., and you're at G.U.N. nearly all the time now."_

 _Shadow purses his lips, taking it into consideration. "If it's fine with you."_

 _Sonic smiles brightly. "Of course! You've been there for how long now? When was the ARK battle?"_

 _"Six months ago?"_

 _"Exactly!" Sonic nods. "Just stay with me, then."_

 _Shadow smiles softly. "Alright. Thank you."_

 _The hero shrugs and yawns one last time. "Don't worry about it. Besides, it's fun having you around."_

 _The black and red hedgehog blinks, taken aback by that statement. The more he thought about it, however, the more he felt...happy?_

 _After the ARK battle, he had been injured badly. Sonic had taken him home and took care of him, not leaving his side until he was a hundred percent sure that Shadow was okay. They talked about Shadow's past with Gerald and Maria, and Sonic's past with Kintobor before he became Robotnik. He learned that Sonic even had a brother and sister at one time, while Sonic learned that Shadow and Maria were closer than any siblings in the universe._

 _They had a lot in common, maybe too much in common. Shadow made it his fate to protect Mobius and its people because Maria wanted them to be happy. Sonic made it his fate to protect Mobius and its people because Kintobor wanted them to be free._

 _Shadow took in a deep breath, smiled, and closed his eyes._

 _For the first time in a long time, he fell asleep truly, purely, content._

* * *

Sonic stared forward, his eyes on the television, but his mind somewhere far away.

What happened?

Why had things gotten so bad? _How_ had things gotten so bad? It didn't make sense. There was no gradual decline of Shadow's behavior, either. It was just, one day he was smiling, and then after he leaves and comes back home, he was...different. Mean. Hurtful. Abusive.

His brain just _could_ _not_ process it.

In the mornings, they took turns making breakfast, usually trying to outmatch the other's cooking skills. They ate, cleaned up, showered, and went out to run together. The run would turn into a race; they would play around and fight with each other. They would go to places like IceCap during the sunsets, or Mazuri during the festivals. Shadow even got him to go to Adabat with him, and got him to go in the water (if only just until the water was at his waist). They had dates in Spagonia, raced across the ruins in Shamar, got into trouble at the Mystic Ruins, and had fun together no matter what it was they were doing. They explored old zones like the Chemical Plant, gambled with each other at Casinopolis, had drinks at Club Rouge, and at the end of the day, they were in bed, holding on to each other just enjoying the other's warmth.

Six months into their relationship came, and it was a big time for both of them. They actually celebrated their anniversary with wine and dinner, despite Sonic's distaste for cliche events. As cliche as it felt, however, it was wonderful. Both of them had been warm and buzzy from the alcohol, and Shadow had swooped him off his feet and carried him to their bedroom...

He blushed and swallowed the lump in his throat.

Then only two months later, Shadow changed.

He had gone out for a mission for G.U.N., and was gone for about two weeks. He came back, different. Everything about him, from his attitude, from his Chaos Energy, from his aura. Despite everything that Sonic tried, Shadow just got worse, and worse, and worse...

'And here we are now,' he thought glumly.

His eyes narrowed the more he thought about it.

Whatever had happened on that mission, Shadow wouldn't tell him. He poked and prodded and even interrogated the immortal, but the dark hero wouldn't say a word.

His brows furrowed and his ears pinned back.

He needed to go to G.U.N. and see if he could figure out what had happened on that mission. If Shadow wasn't going to spill it, and was only getting worse, he needed to do something himself.

Both Kintobor and Maria wouldn't want this. He couldn't let a little love sickness stop him from doing what he did best. He was Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius. He swallows again, closing his eyes and nodding...

...but what if Shadow hated him for it?

* * *

The human's lips curved downwards in a disturbed frown, as the large man turned his hovering chair to face the dark hedgehog that entered the main room of his large, deadly base. "Shadow," he greeted.

The black and red hedgehog smirked, as if there was some hidden joke under his own name. "Docter."

Dr. Eggman scowls and taps his gloved fingers on the arm of his chair. "Are you here to discuss why you haven't kept your end of the bargain?"

The onyx lifeform shrugs as if it meant nothing to him. "Not entirely."

The scientist's eyes narrow. "This is ridiculous! I've done all the work so far, and what have you done? Play around and waste time, _valuable_ time. Sonic is not an idiot, he's going to catch on sooner than later."

Shadow frowns, raising a brow, as Eggman continues. "You need to let him gather the Chaos Emeralds. We can't get to the point if you're dallying around here."

The dark creature shrugs again, still obviously not concerned. "And we will get there, doctor, but even if Sonic is to catch on, what would he be able to do? In his condition? Nothing. You will get what you want, as I will get what I want." He smirks and crosses his arms. "Have _patience_ , good doctor."

The human waves him away, turning his chair around to face his computer monitor. "Yes, well I'm starting to regret doing this, and I hardly have remorse for anything. From what my point of view is on this, is your just abusing him for fun without considering what could happen in the future."

"It sounds like you're concerned for him, _Kintobor."_

The human seems to wince under that name, turning and glaring at the Ultimate Lifeform. "What would it matter if I were? What I'm telling you is, what will happen when Sonic finds out, is he will become very, very, _very_ angry and upset. Dangerously so. That energy of his that you're having such a fun time with, will explode, and you will be on the receiving end of it. He _will_ kill you, whether he wants to or not."

"Dark Sonic. Yes, I've done the research," Shadow says with a roll of his eyes. "I'm not worried about him or his dark form. If anything, it'll just benefit me more."

"How?" Eggman growls.

"What energy do you think I have been manipulating and absorbing from him?" Shadow asks, tilting his head slightly to one side. "Dark energy," he answers himself. "It powers me, makes me stronger. If he transformed I could simply absorb the energy."

The human scoffs and shakes his head. "You obviously don't know what Sonic is, then."

Shadow's eyes narrow. "I know exactly what he is. What you are truly worried about, is him in general. You're growing weak, old man. Physically and mentally. That energy that corrupted you so many years ago is slowly draining from you with each and every bit of contact you have with Sonic. One day, you will be nothing more than the pitiful human you were before the accident." He grins devilishly, watching as the human's fist tightened, cringing with anger in his seat. "You raised him, you care for him like he is your own son. Do you really want to go through with this plan, or are you going to chicken out because the Kintobor in you doesn't want to hurt whatever child is left in Sonic?"

Eggman's jaw was clenched, his eyes narrowed, his nails digging into his palms. Shadow stood defiant with a confident smirk, waiting for an answer.

After a minute of silence, the doctor turns his head away.

"Let him collect the Chaos Emeralds, as planned. Do whatever you want, but you will keep your side of the bargain."

The bioweapon grins. "Of course, my friend. I owe you that much for everything you have done for me."

Eggman rolls his eyes, his brows furrowing sharply. "Whatever. I do, however, want to make a request."

Shadow blinks, raising an eyebrow. "And what may that be?"

"When this is over, however it may end," Eggman starts, turning to look him dead in the eye. "I want Sonic. You are not to keep him. I don't care what happens to me in the future, and I don't care if you're right about me becoming Kintobor again. What I feel now is what I feel, and I feel like Sonic has had enough abuse in his life." Shadow scowls, and Eggman continues. "And yes, I care about him. Whether I want to accept it or not, you can't change fate. I _did_ raise him. I taught him how to run. I taught him how to fight. I taught him that every life on this planet is special. I taught him to always fight for good. I taught him to live his life to the fullest. I made him what he is today, and despite every loss I have made," he grins, "despite how much trouble he's caused, and how much hell we've been through," he turns back to his computer. "if I had to do it all over again, I would have done it the same exact way. Sonic doesn't know that one day I will be Kintobor again, and that is the only victory I need." He lifts his head and strokes one end of his moustache. "Besides, I'm getting old, as you said. Retirement sounds pretty good. Maybe I'll go back to Christmas Island and cure myself. Finish what Sonic and I started. Give the kid a childhood. He's had a hell of a life."

Shadow was quiet, his eyes narrowed. Eggman turns and looks to him, expecting his agreement.

"Fine," Shadow growls. "I don't care. I was going to take him with me when I left, but why not? Keep him."

He turns around, disappearing in not his usual gold flash, but a dark, purplish flash. Eggman scowls.

"He's an idiot if he thinks I believe that." Turning, he presses a button on his computer monitor. He pauses, thinking, a frown curving his lips.

 _"_ _I don't care what happens to me in the future, and I don't care if you're right about me becoming Kintobor again. What I feel now is what I feel, and I feel like Sonic has had enough abuse in his life."_

The doctor sighs and leans back in his chair, looking up at the white ceiling. "And just two years ago I wanted him dead..." But the memories had come back, and he was able to think like normal again. The entire time as Dr. Robotnik he had amnesia, due to the corrupted energy inside of him. Just as Shadow had said, however, years and years of going against Sonic, who was a bundle of pure, good energy, was affecting him. The corrupted energy inside of him was nearly depleted. All he needed now to become Kintobor again, was a cure. He needed to do it as soon as possible. He couldn't risk something going wrong and losing himself again.

 _"Hey Kintobor, who is that?"_

 _"That is Maria, my cousin. A very sweet, kindhearted girl. You would have loved her."_

 _"What happened to her?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Kintobor?"_

 _"An accident, my boy. She had a lot in common with you. Bad people hurt her because of greed. Both she and you are the reason we are building this machine."_

 _"And everyone will be good, right?"_

 _"I hope so, Sonic. Everyone has good deep down inside of them, whether we see it or not. This machine is going to bring it out of them, making Mobius safe, happy, and free. No one will ever be hurt again."_

 _"Oh..."_

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"We could 'of saved Daisy..."_

 _"Sonic, my boy, don't worry about it. It wasn't you're fault what happened-"_

 _"Am I bad?"_

 _"...Of course not. It was an accident. You hardly know a thing about Chaos Energy to begin with, and had no control over yourself."_

 _"What if I do it again?"_

 _"We will figure it out together. You will have more control over your Chaos Energy when you get older, Sonic. You shouldn't be afraid of it. You are special because of it."_

 _"I don't want to be special."_

 _"...It'll be okay. We'll work on your energy and how to control it. You didn't think you would ever be able to control your speed, and did you?"_

 _"..."_

 _"Of course you have. Sonic, Chaos is a power given only to those who are worthy of it. Dark Chaos Energy, what you have, is only given to those who have pure hearts. You will be able to control it one day, but it will take time. I want you to try, Sonic. You have the power to do anything you set your mind to. Never fear any fall, because if you do, you won't have the courage to leap any jump. Can you promise me this?"_

 _"...I promise."_

Eggman smiles.

* * *

 _Four months earlier..._

 _Sonic smiles and yawns, opening his eyes to watch the dark, crimson liquid fill the glass in his hand. A bit sloshed out of the cup, a drop sliding down the side. He lifts the glass to his lips, licking the drop off before taking a drink. He wasn't big on alcohol. Chaos beings usually weren't. His energy would destroy the 'poison' before it caused any damage to his system. It also prevented him from getting flat-out drunk._

 _The buzz was nice, however, and he enjoyed the way he felt lighter yet calmer with the wine thinning his blood and soothing his nerves. He watched the hedgehog in front of him pour his own glass with half-lidded eyes; the wine bottle almost empty._

 _Dinner was done and eaten, the two simply enjoying themselves with drinks and leisure talk. The day had been spent not somewhere on the other side of the world, but at home, together, relaxing on the couch while the snow poured heavy outside, cuddled together under a soft blanket. No movies, no games. Just sitting, content with each other._

 _Then there was the dinner they made together, a few jokes here and there, a couple of sarcastic remarks about it being too cliche. Sonic never liked cliche. Cliche was too predictable to him. He rather liked the adrenaline of not knowing what was going to happen, than knowing and waiting for the event to take place._

 _Now this was different, this was nice. He didn't know where this dinner would end up, but he enjoyed it and despite the cheesiness of it, he loved every moment of it._

 _The other said something in a soft voice, and his blue ears only perked up half-way. He felt too relaxed and quite lazy because of it, so when the other spoke, he only smiled and yawned again._

 _Shadow sighs and leans back in his chair, staring at the hero's empty glass. His own glass was still filled, and with a defeated smile he lifts it up to his lips and downs the rest of it with ease. He knew Sonic didn't hear a word he had said, but it didn't bother him, and he was too lazy to repeat himself..._

 _They met eyes, hazy emerald to clouded ruby, both smiling comfortably in the warmth of their dining room. Neither of them moved, and neither cared to._

 _A third yawn passed fawn lips, and Shadow hummed quietly to himself. Slowly pushing himself up out of his seat, he walks around the table, letting his hand slide across it as he made his way over to his counterpart. Sonic turns, holding up his arms, and the ebony hedgehog obliges by leaning down and lifting him up, carefully and tenderly into his arms. The fourth yawn was muffled into the white fur on Shadow's chest, as they made their way out into the living room, and up the stairs._

 _The bedroom door opened and shut with a click and another, the room dark. The only light was the bedside lamps, which rested with a yellow glow on their respected nightstands; Shadow's on the left, Sonic's on the right._

 _The older of the two carefully lays the younger one down on the bed, before crawling in to sit next to him. He pulls off the cobalt's gloves and socks, tossing them on the nightstand to the left of them. Sonic smiles and reaches up for the other, pulling him down for a soft, warm kiss._

 _A hand snakes around to the back of a blue head, cradling it as it lifted Sonic closer to its owner. The blue hero hums in response, smiling under the gentle touch of his companion. Shadow finds himself moving, to lay over the sapphire hedgehog and let his hand pet down a blue side._

 _Their lips met again, and a tongue slides its way through tan lips and wipes across fawn. Hesitantly, those fawn lips part, letting Shadow's tongue work its way inside the warm mouth._

 _A soft moan from his blue hero, pulled Shadow closer to him. His tongue passed along sharp fangs, to the corners of his mouth, tasting of red wine and spices, before rolling over the other's tongue to coax it into a dance._

 _A gloved hand traced down the blue hedgehog's hip, before sliding back up and under his arm. It swept back down, under his back, making the lithe body arch and its owner moan quietly; tilting his head to the side just slightly. Shadow's sharp teeth take a gentle hold of a wet, fawn lip, giving it a playful tug. Sonic's chuckle was muffled and sounded more like a giggle, before they pressed their mouths together with a bit more passion and force than before._

 _The hand under Sonic's head was removed and brought downward, before it was put to work at removing Shadow's own gloves and tossing them aside. The golden rings around his wrists were meant to stay, gleaming in the yellow light of the lamps on either side of them. Black furred hands then retraced their journey, one behind a blue lump of quills, one down the hero's ticklish side, earning a shiver from the younger male._

 _That hand worked its way around the Blue Blur's side, over his fawn stomach, while Sonic's hands weaved expertly through black and red-streaked quills. He murmurmed something in a black furred ear, and earned a chuckle from the biohedgehog above him. He smiled tiredly, but enjoyed the sweet, soft caresses._

 _Shadow leaned down, pressing a kiss on the cobalt's fawn chest, enjoying the quiet moan he resurrected from it. The hand behind the hero's quills trails down, cupping the side of his fawn muzzle and running his thumb across it. Sonic smiled and leaned into the touch, closing his eyes with a content purr in his chest. Ebony furred fingers weaved their ways through the velvet blue pelt, as Shadow made a silent dare to himself._

 _His hand slides down, running over a blue thigh. A shiver passed through the lithe form, yet there was no attempt to stop it. He lets his hand work around the younger one's leg, under it, then back up and around the inside of it. Another shiver followed, and as Shadow pressed his tan lips against Sonic's fawn ones, he let that hand slide back upwards and rub over the hero's crotch._

 _The mewl was quiet and muffled, and when Shadow pulled back to get a better look at his mate's face, he blinked in curiosity. Sonic met his eyes, and they stared for a moment at each other, before a small smile slowly curved his lips, and he leaned up to nuzzle the side of Shadow's face. He pressed a kiss on the dark hedgehog's cheek, before tilting his head up to whisper in his ear, "Yes."_

 _That was all Shadow needed, and with a smile he nuzzles the younger one and kisses his forehead. His fingers down south in between blue legs, rubbed and pressed down on the sensitive area, earning himself a gasp from the sapphire male. He let his thumb push inside the hidden pouch, rubbing it over a slowly swelling tip, making Sonic mewl and arch his body into Shadow's._

 _A red coloring tinted the top of his muzzle, spreading down over his chest to the tips of his ears above. Shadow purred and kiss the flushed face, greatly enjoying the sight. Sonic huffed and turned his head, grabbing ahold of Shadow's lips with his own. A smirk pulled on the corners of Shadow's as he tilted his head, pushing his tongue back inside the warm, wet, cavern._

 _His hand below made itself known as it grabbed the tip of the younger male's penis and gave it a rough tug out of its sheathe. A shuddered moan broke their kiss, before Shadow forced it back together with a bit more force than before. Sonic groaned, feeling the hand playing with him below grab a firm hold of his slowly hardening member. A hard squeeze left him breathless, and as the torturing hand slid up and down, a sharp hiss could be heard as he inhaled a gasp and clenched his teeth._

 _Shadow's other hand decided to put itself to work, and from the side of the hero's muzzle, swept over soft, flushed lips, its index finger poking at them. Sonic blinked, his face darkening, understanding what the action meant, and he slowly, shakily, parted his lips and took the others finger into his mouth. Again their eyes met, and a small, caring smile curved Shadow's lips. His red eyes sparkled, and Sonic smiled back, putting all his trust into this dark hero. This supposed weapon._

 _Shadow pushes his middle finger inside the younger male's mouth, letting Sonic's tongue slide across them, coating them in a decent amount of saliva. He pulls them out, letting a trail of it drop on the sapphire's bottom lip, before leaning down to kiss it away._

 _While his one hand continued to stroke and fondle the hedgehog's member below, his other went down and around to his backside, feeling under a blue tail for a small, tight hole beneath._

 _A sharp gasp was his clue that he had found it, and he pushed with one of his fingers just lightly, making the hero shudder and cry out softly at the stinging sensation. He decides to test the waters a little bit further, and pushes the tip of his finger inside the tight space._

 _"A-Ah!" Sonic's back arched, his eyes squeezing shut. As much as it hurt, a hot, pleasurable feeling had shot into his crotch, confusing his weak body as much as his emotions. "Easy," Shadow purred softly into his ear, pressing a kiss on his temple. "Relax..."_

 _Sonic took in a deep breath, whining quietly as he felt the finger below push a bit further inside him, now halfway, wiggling around and pushing on the tight, silky walls. Tears formed in the corner of his eyes, and he huffed, trying to focus on the pleasure and not the pain._

 _A shock traveled through him suddenly as Shadow pushed his finger in all the way, making him cry out his name and grab ahold of the pillow underneath his head. He moved his finger back out, to slam it forward again, making Sonic moan and whine, tearing up the pillow beneath him. He matched his finger's thrust with pumps of the hero's now slick member, which was coated with a clear white dripping from the tip. He moved back and forth, in and out, up and down, throwing the blue male into a spiraling haze of pure, euphoric pleasure. He moaned and mewled with each thrust, each movement, tearing a hole in the pillow's case and curling his toes in ecstacy. Shadow purred and leaned down, pressing soft kisses down the hedgehog's cheek, to his neck, gently nipping at the flesh underneath the blue pelt._

 _Sonic cries out quietly as Shadow adds his second finger, pushing it all the way in without giving him any kind of warning or break. He curls his fingers, pulling them back, before scissoring them open and thrusting forward, just barely scraping that sweet spot inside of him, making him groan and buck; little tingles of pleasure shooting up to his crotch, making his stomach tighten._

 _"Sha-Shadowwww..." he whines, squeezing his eyes shut. Said hedgehog hums in response, his black furred ears taking in every whine, every moan, every pant, every mewl that left his mate below him. He pulls his fingers out, making the hedgehog shiver, and grabs ahold of blue hips, lifting them up to meet his waist._

 _He froze there, giving the cobalt male time to figure out what was happening. It took less than a minute for it to register to the younger one, and with a nervous swallow, he blinks open his eyes and meets Shadow's._

 _They were hazed, but the ruby gems were sparkling unlike anything he had ever seen before. There was fear, care, love shining in them, and it made his heart do a backflip and his breath catch, and he stared up at his lover with a tiny smile. A slow nod, and Shadow tilts his head slightly to one side, like a curious puppy seeing something for the first time. "A-Are you sure?"_

 _The hesitance, the care, was cute to Sonic, and his smile grew. "W-Well...yeah...I want this."_

 _Shadow stared, really stared, studying the hero as if just to make sure. With a deep breath, he nods, copying the others smile. "Alright then, brace yourself..."_

 _With that he thrusts his hips forward, making the blue hedgehog cry out loudly in shock. Both large amounts of pain and pleasure shot through his whole body, making his eyes widen and his arms fly up, his fingers digging into the onyx hedgehog's back._

 _"Sh-Shit," Shadow huffs, getting stuck halfway. Sonic whines and closes his eyes, unable to control the way his body was shivering against the others. They lay there, panting heavily, before Shadow shakes his head and thrusts forward again. Another cry left Sonic's lips, and he buried his face into the crook of Shadow's neck. This time the dominate of the two was able to get all the way in, and once the thought settled in the back of Sonic's head, he flushed and meowled. Feeling Shadow inside him was one thing, but pondering on the thought was enough to make his head spin sideways._

 _A short moment of rest was finished as Shadow pulled back, nearly all the way out, before he thrust forward again, this time with better ease. He tried to ignore the fact that Sonic was in pain, and instead focused on finding the sweet spot that would drive him insane with pleasure. He didn't have to question when he found it, as Sonic cried his name and arched his back, begging him to do it again._

 _And so he did._

 _He held onto Sonic's hips with one hand, his other hand holding onto his member, as he rocked his own hips back and forth and back and forth, each attack on that hot, sweet spot making Sonic moan and yell out louder and louder._

 _The blue hedgehog felt his stomach tighten, his vision turning to white as Shadow drove him mad, never before experiencing something as wild as this. One last thrust was all he needed before he came, his scream loud with nothing holding it back. Shadow gave a shuddered cry into his neck, filling the blue hero with his own warm seed as he held onto him for dear life._

 _They both lay there, panting and whining in their afterglow, holding onto each other as if it were the last thing they would ever do._

 _A few minutes passed by without as much as a movement, before Shadow leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss on his mate's cheek. "I love you," he whispers, and the cobalt hero swoons, turning his head to take ahold of tan lips in his own. When they parted, Sonic smiled with twinkling emeralds, feeling happier than anyone on the planet. "I love you," he purred, nuzzling the older hedgehog with a content, sleepy smile._

 _As long as he had Shadow, he could let loose and be safe. Shadow would protect him. Shadow would take care of him._

 _They fell asleep, breathing in the others scent, enjoying the warmth, love, and comfort they had with each other._

* * *

Sonic swallowed, the memory playing in his head over and over and over again. A light, pink coloring blushed his muzzle, and he shook his head, looking up at the numbers above the metal doors, waiting for the ding that brought him to the highest floor in the Guardian Units of Nations Headquarters.

He hated G.U.N.

Well, more like he hated its Commander, Abraham Towers.

His eyes narrow at the thought of the man.

There had once been a time when Mobius and Earth were two different worlds, but only two years ago had the planets combined into one. He never understood why, or remembered what Tails had explained to him, all he knew was that he hated it.

When Mobius and Earth were part of their own dimensions, they had different time scales. One year on Earth was only one month on Mobius. With this said, Kintobor was able to come to Mobius and take his time with the Chaos Emeralds, while Gerald did the work he needed on Earth.

Sonic huffs, folding his arms over his chest. He remembered Kintobor always telling him that one day he would get to meet Maria, and her friend who was a hedgehog like Sonic. Now the blue hero knew that hedgehog was Shadow. With a soft growl, he scowls at the door in front of him. The ARK had been raided by G.U.N. when he was twelve years of age on Mobius. He remembered walking into Kintobor's room to see the normally happy and cheerful human crying quietly to himself. Maria had died, and Gerald had been executed.

 _"Why do people have to let the darkness in them consume them?"_

From that day on, Kintobor had devoted all his time into making a machine that, using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, would take all the evil out of the world and make everyone good. To avenge Maria. To avenge their grandfather.

That very machine killed Kintobor and made him a monster.

And it was all because of G.U.N. It was all because Towers had called in to the base and had them come. He made them come and kill everyone.

If Towers had just stayed out of it, Maria would still be alive. He would have met her. He would have grown up with Shadow. Kintobor would have never become the most evil man on the planet.

 _"...but everything happens for a reason. That's why we need to just live the life we are given to the fullest in the time we have with it."_

With a heavy sigh, the hedgehog runs a hand through his quills. It was sad, but true. If the ARK accident had never happened, he wouldn't have met his brother and sister only a year later to fight against Robotnik. He never would have found Tails. He never would have become a hero that so many people look up to. He would be leading a completely different life right now...

Rubbing his eyes he wipes the thoughts away. Kintobor may be right, but that still didn't quench his hate for Towers. The man was just downright evil.

The elevator dinged and, with a relieved sigh, he steps out and turns right down the metallic hallways. He was used to this place, and despite not wanting to join G.U.N., he still found himself coming here frequently to visit Team Dark and Topaz, and once in a great while help out with missions. He made his way down a few ways, before reaching up and knocking on the door to the Commander's office.

Topaz opened it and blinked, looking down at the hero with surprise. "Sonic?"

He gives her a half-hearted smile and tilts his head. "I need to talk with you guys. It's important."

The female steps aside, letting the Blue Blur walk through and openly glare at Towers, who sat a bit intimidated by the normally cheerful hero.

Topaz could only blink as she shut the door, baffled by the two's interactions. The Commander seemed to be more afraid of Sonic than anyone, including Shadow. In fact, one might think the older human was down right scared of him. It was an odd sight, but she never questioned either one of them about it.

"Sonic," the Commander starts, raising a brow. "You are here for...?"

The hedgehog crosses his arms. "Two months ago you sent Shadow on a mission. I want to know where and why."

The human blinks, looking up to Topaz who seemed just as confused. "What are you talking about?"

Sonic scoffs. "He was gone for two weeks. He came back the Ultimate Asshole. What mission?"

Topaz frowns, sitting in a chair beside the Commander's desk. "Sonic...Shadow never showed up for that mission. We thought he bailed."

The hero blinks, his eyes widening. "Wait...what?"

Towers leans back in his chair, opening a drawer to the right of him and digging through it. He pulls out a yellow folder and hands it to the confuzzled hedgehog. Sonic opens it, looking through it with a frown.

"He was supposed to go in and destroy that base, and get the Chaos Emerald that was there. He never came though, and we had to cancel the mission," the human explained, and Sonic looked up with a startled expression.

"So...wait a minute...he said that he had a mission...and when he came back he said he wasn't allowed to talk about it...but..."

Topaz's brows furrow, concern lining her face. "He never went on any mission, Sonic."

The blue hero stood there, staring forward, but into space. Shadow hadn't gone on any mission...so where did he go?

"Wherever he went, and whatever he did," Sonic said softly, "changed him. I need to know what..."

Both humans frown at each other, before looking at the cobalt male with visible concern. Sonic looked at the folder with furrowed brows, before he closed the folder and tossed it on the desk. He looks at Towers with a confident scowl. "How do I catch him?"

The Commander blinks, baffled, before looking to Topaz. "Get the Black Arms inhibitors."

The female nods and gets up, hurrying out the door. Towers looks at Sonic's questionable expression and explains. "These are used to drain a Black Arms energy, which includes Shadow. They'll immobilize him, if just for a short period of time."

Sonic scowls, crossing his arms over his chest. "You kept these...why exactly?"

The human runs a hand through his silver hair, shrugging almost nervously. "Just in case. We certainly need them now..."

Sonic sighs and looks up at the ceiling. "Fine, but I'm giving them to Tails when I'm done with them. I don't want you to have them." He glares at the human, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

The man nods. "O-Of course, Sonic."

* * *

Sonic takes a deep breath, before stepping into the house. The cuffs in his hand were black and glowed an eery red, and he felt terrible for simply thinking about them. This needed to be done, though. Shadow had lied to him, and now he was going to get some answers.

His ears perk up as he walks through the living room, and into the kitchen. The house had been locked, and it was quiet. The dark hedgehog must not be home yet...

Which was good. It gave him some time to plan out how exactly he was going to get these things on his chaotic boyfriend. Standing in the kitchen, he purses his lips and hums to himself. How to catch a hedgehog?

 _'You don't,'_ he thinks glumly.

With a sigh he runs a hand over his face. _'I need a hot shower, a long nap, and some really, freaking good chili dogs. Like the ones from Spagonia, but better than those.'_

His stomach growls just thinking about it. He ate a small meal at Tails's house, but really hasn't eaten much in the past few days.

His hundredth sigh that day was loud and obnoxious, and he turns around in place, heading to the doorway.

He yelps and blinks, bumping into the cause of his problems.

Shadow.

His heart lept in his chest, his eyes widening in surprise. How the hell had he snuck up on him like that?

"H-Hey..." he starts, losing any and all confidence he had only two seconds ago.

The black and crimson hedgehog's eyes narrow, his ruby eyes flashing. "And what, may I ask, are you up to?"

Sonic swallows, his fingers tightening around the cuffs in his hand. "You lied to me, Shadow," he starts, wondering how on Chaos's green Mobius was Shadow able to destroy the courage he had used for so many years in his life. "I want to know the truth, Shadow."

A small smirk curved tan lips, and the Ultimate Lifeform took a step forward, making the blue hero yip and step back. His quills flattened as Shadow pushed him up against the fridge behind him, placing a hand on the stainless steel beside his head. His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest, and his breath caught in his throat as Shadow leaned down, their noses just a meter apart.

"Well then," he starts in a low whisper. "why don't you ask me?"

He holds both his arms out in front of Sonic, showing him his wrists. "Go on. Do it."

The hero blinks, flabbergasted at the other's behaviour. The dark, antihero was practically begging for him to put the cuffs on...

...but he was Sonic the Hedgehog.

With a sheer amount of force, he lifts up his leg and kicks the black and red hedgehog as hard as he can, sending the older male flying across the kitchen, through the doorway, and into the coffee table in the living room straight across.

 _'I'll build a new one...'_

Shadow's back hit the bottom of the couch, sitting in the split remains of the dark, wooden table in front of it. He blinks, taken aback. This was the second time someone had kicked him through something. His eyes narrow.

It would be the last.

He goes to get up, determination shining in his eyes. Well, getting up was the plan, but Sonic wasn't going to take the chance. Instead, he was forced back down with a startled yell, as a sharp, blue ball of spikes slammed into him at a speed that would put bullets to shame.

His arms fly up, barely shielding himself away from the cobalt frenzy of Sonic's spindash drilling into him. He growls, squeezing his eyes shut, putting all his strength into it, and with a groan he turns his head away and lights his hands up with a dark, purple flash. "Chaos, Spear!"

Sonic yelps and shoots away, his back hitting the wall beside the kitchen doorway. He blinks, dizzy, his mind spinning as to the color of Shadow's normally gold energy.

He shakes his head, seeing the dark hedgehog slowly sit up, and curses at himself to get up, get up, get up!

Pulling himself to his feet, he mutters something along the lines of 'yolo' under his breath, and dashes forward, tackling the other before he could fully make it to a stand.

The two crash against the couch, Sonic atop of Shadow, snapping the cuffs on the other's wrists before he even knew what was happening. A victorious grin curves his lips, watching Shadow's eyes widen in surprise. Sitting back, he jumps off the darker one and stands back, watching Shadow glare at the cuffs on his wrist, which glowed brightly against him.

They both stood and sat there, watching the cuffs on Shadow's wrist. _'Okay...they should have shocked him when I put them on him...why aren't they doing anything?!'_

Shadow grins, looking up at a slowly panicking Sonic. Blue ears folded sideways on their owner's head, watching as Shadow held up his arms.

 _SNAP!_

With only a harsh tug, the rings fell off, shattering with the force, and hit the floor with a clang.

 _'Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck...'_

Sharp teeth gleamed as Shadow smirked wickedly. "Well...that sucks doesn't it?"

 _'I'm so dead, I'm so dead, I'm so dead...'_

The charcoal hedgehog pushes himself to his feet, dusting himself off. "Now, let me ask..."

 _'I need to go. I need to run. I need to...'_

He looks up at Sonic, who's muzzle was pale, tail tucked, ears and quills flat. With hardly any real food or sleep, and injured on top of it, what could he really do?

"What did you want to talk with me about, again? Because I would like to discuss why you think it's okay to leave without telling me, and going behind my back at the same time. What do you think?"

Sonic swallowed, his teeth clenched. "Sh-Shadow..." he starts slowly, "You don't...You don't own me. And going behind _your_ back? You lied to me Shadow!"

A shrug. "So what if I did?"

Sonic's heart sank. "What's wrong with you, Shadow?!"

A sick smile. "Nothing, love."

The blue hero stomps his foot, grabbing his quills with frustrated fists. "I just don't...! I just don't understand why...!" He looks at the bioweapon angrily, blinking his stinging eyes. "What happened to you?!"

A dark grin. Shadow walks forward, closing the distance between them, grabbing a startled Sonic in a harsh grip. He pulls the smaller hedgehog close, against him, making him yelp and cringe in fear. He leans over, whispering into a flicking ear.

"I decided to stop pretending you mean something to me."

Sonic's breath caught in his chest, his eyes widening.

"I decided to stop pretending I love you."

* * *

 **Another Author's Note:**

 _Holy shizzledazzle. Did I really write this shit? It has taken me about...since the last chapter to get this done. I have written a section of this everyday since the last chapter. Not even kidding._

 _To be completely honest, I wasn't going to make this story that deep. I wasn't going to include Sonic's past, as well as Shadow's. The reason I decided to is because I felt it would be a better way of how Sonic and Shadow got together in the first place: they have a common goal. Trust me, the first way was shit. Just shit. Then after so many amazing and characteristic reviews and opinions, I decided to reward you guys with some exposition and easter eggs. This was mainly for practice writing, but since so many of you are interested in it, I supposed I may as well give you a show. And yes, Eggman is a key figure in this story. Very important._

 _I hate author's notes. I hate writing them. I feel like I'm just ruining the story by writing these. Next chapter there will be no notes (unless you want me to...but no promises)._

 _Leave your thoughts and reviews in the section below :D They make my world go 'round!_

 _Longest chapter I have ever written in my life. Never again. (Maybe.)_


	5. Five

**Author's Note:**

 _So I wasn't going to write one of these, but you guys said you like them so..._

 _Yes I'm a bit late with this. I'm also a bit late with my other stories. Work takes a lot out of me. However, I plan to get caught up as soon as I possibly can._

 _Big note: This story already has a sequel and a trilogy planned. Already, you ask? Well I've had this whole story planned out from the moment I sat down and wrote the first chapter, and to be completely honest, it isn't going to be as long as, 'Demons' with its twenty-five chapters, or 'Welcome to My World,' which I estimate is gonna be about thirty. So, short stories, three of 'em for ya. The end of this one is nearly right around the corner. Don't hate me._

 _So some of you think it isn't Shadow, some of you think Shadow's energy has been corrupted like Kintobor's had, and some of you are still not sure... The possibilities are never ending._

 _No that was not a quote from Sonic Unleashed._

 _Okay, maybe it was._

 _I'm done._

* * *

 **Five**

Rouge's eyes widen. "When?!" she exclaimed. Topaz frowned nervously and bit her bottom lip. "Yesterday. He hasn't come back yet... Can you go and check on him?"

The ivory bat feels her heart nearly explode out of her chest. "Of course I'll go check on him! I cannot believe you sent him on his own to capture Shadow! He is in no shape or form to be able to do that! What if something happened?!" She whips around and storms off, her heels thudding into the metallic floor below, continuing to go off at no one in particular. The human stands there, her own eyes wide, wondering if she should go with Rouge, or tell someone first.

* * *

"There," he groans groggily. The shackles fell to the floor, sizzling and sparking as they did. It had taken too much of his Chaos Energy to break out of those, but he had done it. He leans against the wall where he stood, closing his eyes. He hurt all over, but he had a mission. A job. He needed to figure out where he was and how to get out of here.

He shakes his head and pushes away from the wall, limping across the cement floor to the other side of his dark prison. His hands find the wall there, and he feels over it. No door, no nothing. What kind of terrible game was this?

A dark laugh caught his attention, and he whipped around with narrowed eyes. Those eyes, however, widened, when he finally saw the person who was behind his torture.

Himself?

The being in front of him looked exactly like him, standing there with his arms crossed and a sharp smirk over his muzzle. "Going somewhere?"

He raises his fist and growls. "Where the hell am I, and what the hell is going on?"

His mirror image waves him away with a toss of his hand. "Does it matter? It's not like you're ever going to leave here." The creature sounded just like him. He steps forward, cursing the pain in his body. "Just tell me who the hell you are!"

His counterpart stares at him for a long, hard moment, before shrugging. "You wouldn't remember who I am. You can blame Sonic for that one."

Triangular ears fly upwards at the name, and he felt his throat run dry.

 _Sonic. Sonic. Sonic..._

"Where is he?" he croaks, feeling his breath hitch in fear for not himself, but for the blue hero.

The darker image of himself grins.

"Don't worry. I'm taking care of him."

He felt his head spin, his ears ringing. Sonic was in danger, and he couldn't protect him. "Where am I?" He asks again, determination trying to break the haze in his mind.

A sigh left the darker form, and he holds his hands up in a shrug. "As I said, it doesn't matter where you are. You're not getting out of here. I have you here and there's no way for you to leave. You're my subject, and you will forever be trapped here."

He blinks, before his eyes narrow. "Like hell! I don't give a fuck who you are! I am not anyone's subject, I am the Ultimate Lifeform, and I will not sit around here while you do God know's what to Sonic!" He takes another step forward, as if ready to attack.

The darker being grins. "You say no one owns you, yet it seems Sonic owns your heart. That makes you weak. That is why you are here. That is why you will never escape. That is why I am in charge now."

The doppleganger disappears in a flash, and before he could even register what was happening, a strike of pain slashed acrossed his back, making him cry out and hit the ground. A foot was felt pressing down on him, smashing his face into the rubble beneath him.

"I'll give Sonic your regards. I'll tell him you left because you didn't love him. That you never loved him. That you were only using him for your own amusement."

He swallows, his teeth clenched in blinding, white anger.

"Goodbye, Shadow the Hedgehog."

* * *

Knuckles blinks in surprise. "Sonic is doing what?"

Rouge shakes her head. "Just come with me, dammit! We don't have much time!"

She takes his large hand, before turning around and dragging him down the steps of the Master Emerald alter. His blinks, looking back at the emerald, before looking back at Rouge. "W-Wait! Can you at least tell me what's going on first? Is Sonic in trouble?"

"Yes!" the bat exclaims. "Now shut up and let's go already! For all we know, Shadow could be..." she trails off, shaking her head. She didn't want to know what Shadow could be doing to the blue hero.

She swallows, nervously, before looking back at a worried echidna. "Just...beat the shit out of Shadow for me, okay?"

The ruby guardian blinks again, before his eyes narrow and he smirks. "It's about time."

* * *

She kicks open the door with a huff, storming into the house with an intent to kill. "Shadow! Sonic!" she calls, checking the kitchen as she passed. She looks up the stairs, her teal eyes narrowed, before she begins to stomp up them, Knuckles right behind her. The bedroom door was open just a crack, and when she pushed it open, she blinked.

Nothing. The room was empty of any and all hedgehogs. The bed was devoid of all sheets, the bare pillows laying on top of it neatly by the head board. The room was picked up and tidy as usual, and a clean pile of towels lay on the dresser by the bathroom door.

"Where are they?" She asks no one in particular. Knuckles turns and begins walking down the hallway, opening doors and checking inside. "They're not here," he calls, closing the door of a guest bedroom.

Rouge steps out into the hallway, her eyes narrowed. "I don't like this."

She watches Knuckles go to open the last door, only for it to rattle. It was locked.

With a scowl, he rears back his fist and slams it into the handle, causing the door to swing open with a whoosh and bang. They both stare inside the room, frowning.

Another guest room, painted red with grey carpet. The room was clean and empty like all the others, but there was something lying on the bed.

Rouge steps over and gasps, picking it up and turning to show it to Knuckles.

"These are the cuffs Sonic was supposed to put on Shadow!"

The echidna's brows furrow. "And they're broke...and neither of them are here, so..."

Rouge swallows. "Let's go to Tails. He has a tracker that can find them."

Knuckles nods.

* * *

The front door of Tails's house swings open, both Rouge and Knuckles running in as if their lives were at stake.

They both freeze.

Sonic was laying on Tails's couch, on his side, holding his arm out, while Tails wrapped some bandages around it. The fox was fidgeting and biting his bottom lip, and Sonic's face was buried in the pillow beneath him. They could see the blue body shaking, and when they walked up, they could hear muffled coughs and choked whines.

Sonic was crying.

Tails looked up fearfully at the pair, who could only stare in shock. Sonic was covered in bandages, some on his legs, some on his arms, around his torso, and one wrapped around a blue ear, which was currently flattened against its owners head. His other arm was holding the pillow close to him, his fawn fingers digging into it. Tails finishes bandaging the other arm, laying it on the couch. Sonic pulled it under him, but didn't move again.

"What..." Knuckles starts, and the yellow fox who was slowly standing up to sit on the coffee table, wraps his tails around him. "I don't know," he answers quietly. "Sh-Shadow just showed up and dropped Sonic on the floor, and then left without a word." He swallows, his ears falling against his head. "He was bleeding and...Shadow broke his leg."

Rouge's mouth dropped open, and Knuckles inhales a sharp breath. The echidna's hands clench into a tight ball, his teeth grinding against each other. "I'm gonna kill him...this is the final straw..."

Rouge leans down beside the couch, carefully stroking a hand through the ruffled blue fur on top of Sonic's head. "Blue, honey..." she starts, and he doesn't answer, doesn't even flick an ear in her direction. A sob could be heard in the pillow, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't understand..." she starts, her voice almost a whisper. "Shadow wouldn't...he would never..."

Knuckles growls and turns around, grabbing his head with his large hands. "Well he did! That bastard is gonna wish he really did die, that son of a bitch..."

"Knuckles!" Tails calls, his eyes narrowing.

"No!" the echidna yells back, whipping around to face the kit with flames in his eyes. "This is insane! Look what he's done! How the hell do you expect me to just sit around here when he's doing this shit! Look at Sonic! Who in their right mind would do such a thing! Not a goddamn person!"

"Knuckles!" Rouge interrupts, turning to glare at him. "Just stop! You're not helping anything here! Yes, this is wrong, and yes we're going to do something about it, but can you just calm down for one second and give us some time to think?"

The ruby guardian scoffs and turns around, stomping into the kitchen and slumping down in one of the wooden chairs. Silence followed, the only sounds being of the T.V. playing the news quietly in the background, and Sonic's quiet sobs.

Tails sighs and rubs his eyes, which were tearing themselves. He had never seen Sonic break down like that. After Shadow had left he had tried to help Sonic over to the couch, but the hero had just collapsed and started sobbing, falling onto his side and curling in a ball.

He hated it. It broke his heart to see his older brother hurt like this. He wiped away his tears, knowing crying wasn't going to help. He just couldn't help it, though. He had never seen Sonic cry before...

Rouge gives the fox a sympathetic look, before turning back to Sonic. The fact that Shadow would go as far as breaking his leg, crushing Sonic's ability to run or care for himself, was absolutely terrifying. How could he? She couldn't understand it. She also didn't understand why Shadow would bring Sonic here. Did this mean it was over? Did Shadow leave for good?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sound from the news caught her ears. She turns her head, looking at the T.V. with a frown.

 _"...attacking Acropolis, apparently targeting the Chaos Emerald that was found yesterday and brought to the mayor's office for safe keeping."_

Tails turns his head, staring at the scene with a worried frown. Eggman robots were seen everywhere on the screen. It didn't, however, look as if the robots were doing much damage, as if Eggman was holding back. As if he didn't really want to hurt anyone.

"Looks like a trap," Rouge spoke up with a huff. Tails nods, and Knuckles perks up from the kitchen. "What?"

"Eggman's attacking, going after a Chaos Emerald," Tails explains, turning to look at the blue hedgehog who still hadn't moved on the couch.

Rouge sighs and stands to her feet. "Knuckles and I will go and get it."

The fox's eyes widen. "But...what if Shadow comes back?"

Knuckles stands up immediately. "Hey, yeah...What if this _is_ the trap? Like what if Eggman and Shadow are working together here?"

The ivory bat sighs. "So what then? Will you go by yourself?" she asks the echidna, who scowls in return. Tails frowns, picking up his communicator off the coffee table next to him. "What if I called Amy?" he suggests.

The two older mobians exchange looks. Knuckles crosses his arms, looking at the couch where his friend lay. "I'm staying here, in case Shadow comes back," he declares. Rouge frowns, but sighs once again. "Alright. I'll go with Amy, then."

"Get the emerald," Tails adds, "It could help Sonic recover faster."

She nods. "I wouldn't dream of leaving it behind."

* * *

The pink female huffs and swings her hammer backwards over her shoulder, turning in a whirl to face the white bat that landed not too far from her. "Took you long enough," she pants, her face red from exhaustion. Rouge raises a brow, glancing behind the younger girl to take witness to the power of the Piko-Piko hammer. Broken, smashed, and disintegrated robots lay amok everywhere, covering the ruined ground of White Acropolis. She turns her attention back to the cause of the destruction, and places her hands on her hips. "Well excuse me, darling. Knuckles, Tails, and I were busy taking care of more important matters."

Amy raises a brow of her own, setting her hammer down to lean on it. "What matters?"

The girl had gotten a bit more mature over the years, and after her fight with Shadow when Sonic announced they were a couple, she seemed to jump out of her fangirlish spirt and move on with her life. She had been traveling the world with her cousin, Rob O' the Hedge, meeting other Freedom Fighters against Eggman and taking responsibility of her own.

The outfit she wore now had changed with her personality and attitude. A darker pink dress that was longer and tighter around her, more mature for her age, new, purple sneakers, a purple belt around her waist. She looked her age, sixteen, and one might even say she looked older than that.

That didn't change the fact that she still got on Rouge's nerves.

The more voluptuous female sighs. "It's about Sonic. I'll tell you after we get the Chaos Emerald from Eggman. He needs it."

Amy's eyes widen slightly, before they narrow sharply. "The Shadow situation's gotten worse, hasn't it? I knew he shouldn't trust him..."

"Amy," Rouge warns. "Now's not a good time. Where's your cousin at?"

The hedgehog whips around with a huff. "He's helping evacuate everyone."

The bat nods, watching more robots fall down for the attack in the distance. "Okay then. Let's go get that emerald."

* * *

 _Nine months earlier:_

 _The ruby echidna looks up at the sound of soft-tapping footsteps up the stone stairs of the Master Emerald alter. He didn't need to hear his friend to know it was him; Sonic's Chaos Energy was so strong, he could feel it before he landed on the Island itself._

 _The Blue Blur himself stood before him with an odd smile curving his lips. He wore a light green jacket, winter starting to affect even him, his hands lazily comfortable in his pockets. His blue ears were perked up, but his smile seemed nervous, as if he was afraid of something the echidna was going to do._

 _"Sonic," Knuckles greets, raising a brow in question. Said hedgehog shrugs, rocking on his feet, back and forth, biting his bottom lip with that same nervous smile._

 _"What's up?" the echidna prods again, now fully interested in whatever Sonic had in store for him. The blue hero swallows, looks away at the snow covered fields, before looking back at Knuckles with a shaky breath._

 _"You know how uh...Shadow and I have been hanging out a lot lately..."_

 _The ruby guardian raises both brows now, sitting up from where he leaned his arms on his knees. "Yeah?"_

 _Sonic takes in another breath, before nodding. "We're uh...well...haha...it's really funny but..." he pauses, seeing the echidna's patience falter, before he spits it out._

 _"We're dating."_

 _Knuckles blinks, staring wordlessly at his best friend and rival. His eyes narrowed just slightly, his mouth opening but not saying anything. He studies the nervous hero in front of him curiously, wondering what kind of trick this was supposed to be, or whether or not he had heard him correctly._

 _"You're...what?"_

 _Sonic shrugs. "Dating, ya know... Like, a couple. Like...in love and stuff."_

 _Knuckles came to the conclusion that he was on drugs._

 _"Y-You're kidding me..."_

 _Sonic shakes his head, watching the other for any signs of a quick reaction. "N-Nope. Shadow and I are dating. We have been. For a month already."_

 _Knuckles stares some more, his mind spinning from this presented information. "So...wait a minute...how in the hell did this happen?"_

 _Sonic shrugs again, closing his eyes, his blue ears flicking at the wind that blew at them. "I dunno...it kind of just...did...over time I guess."_

 _Knuckles shakes his head. "I still don't believe it."_

 _The blue hero smirks, one ear flicking back. "I know. You'll just have to see on your own."_

 _The echidna blinks and watches his friend turn around and head back down the steps, his eyes narrowed in thought._

 _This, he needed to see._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _Pushing the door open, he blinks, staring in shock. Sonic was laying on his back on the floor of his living room, while Shadow himself lay on top of him, the two giggling and nuzzling each other._

 _Shadow. Was giggling._

 _Knuckles could only stare, dumbfounded._

 _He had decided, after a few days later, to see if Sonic was just joking with him or not. Apparently, he had been telling the truth._

 _Rouge the Bat, who sat on Sonic's coffee table watching the pair with sparkling eyes, notices Knuckles standing in the front doorway and smiles, waving him in._

 _"Well, look who decided to get involved."_

* * *

Knuckles watches his friend sleep on the couch, the present looking so much more worse than it had been only nine months ago. Something was definitely up. He had never trusted Shadow to begin with, but after working with the dark hero on multiple occasions, he had grown to respect him and give him a chance. After he saw the Ultimate Lifeform with his best friend, curled up on the floor and laughing like children together, he had decided that Shadow deserved more from him. Sonic trusted Shadow with his life, and over the months, Knuckles had watched Sonic fall to Shadow like Tails or Amy would to Sonic. Shadow was his guardian. His protector. Knuckles knew that, as long as Shadow was near Sonic, Sonic would be safe.

At least until now.

But none of it lined up. Why would he suddenly change? The two had been smitten in love with each other. You could just look at the twinkle and haze in their eyes and could see it there. They never argued, never swore at each other, never fought...

The echidna rested his chin in his hands, hunching over to rest his elbows on his knees where he sat on the light brown recliner to the right of the couch. Sonic breathed in, breathed out, deeply, before he groaned in his sleep and pulled the blankets over his shoulder.

Knuckles swallows.

He remembered during a battle with Eggman, Sonic had gotten beaten up pretty badly. There was nowhere for himself or Tails or Amy to get down there to help him, and they could only watch as the doctor's robot threw the blue hero through a building, another, and into the churning ocean of Emerald Coast. Then, G.U.N. had showed up, Shadow had Chaos Controlled to the Tornado, asking where Sonic was. They replied quickly and frantically, and Shadow, with wide, frightful eyes, took off for where Sonic had landed in the cold water.

After they had destroyed the remains of the deadly robot, Knuckles had turned just in time to see Shadow pull Sonic up and out of the water, onto shore, letting the Blue Blur cough up the horrid liquid onto the pale sand, before pulling him into his arms. Sonic had snuggled into his savior, and Shadow pressed kisses along his mate's muzzle, chiding him, scolding him for being so reckless.

 _"If anything had happened to you...Dammit Sonic, you idiot."_

The cobalt male had smirked and chuckled sleepily, curling into the darker hero and closing his eyes.

Knuckles had frowned, but said not a word.

Shadow held Sonic, held on to him like he would die if he let go. Held on to him as if the world would end if he let go.

Held on to him with all the love and care in the world. Held on to him like, he had lost someone before and couldn't bare to lose another again.

Knuckles sat up, staring at Sonic with a determined frown.

"Either that's not him, buddy, or someone did something to him. We'll figure it out."

Of course, a sleeping Sonic did not respond.

* * *

Blue lids fluttered open, a fawn hand slowly rising to rub its owner's temple as he groaned groggily. Sonic's cobalt ears perked up, slowly rising to attention, his emerald irises scanning the empty living room as a scowl curved his lips. He could hear his friends in the kitchen, conversing quietly and hushed amongst themselves. 'About me,' he thought to himself with a roll of his eyes, turning over on the couch to face the back of it. He buries his snout into the cushions, closing his eyes.

The cuffs didn't work on Shadow.

 _Shadow._

'They should have...' he thinks, his brows furrowing. Why didn't they? First, Shadow's Chaos Energy grows cold, and now cuffs that were made to hold his blood type down, broke with a simple tug from him.

His eyes open, staring at nothing in particular.

It wasn't Shadow.

It couldn't be.

Tails built Chaos Energy trackers all the time. In order to track Sonic and Shadow, the fox would need to put in their specific energy signature. Every Chaos living being has their own, specific signature. Of course, it can change over time as a mobian grows older and older, but straight down to the core, it should always be the same.

Shadow was of Light Chaos Energy.

Sonic was of Dark.

That was how they were able to click together so easily. Sonic's Dark Chaos Energy reacted with Shadow's Light.

...but this Shadow's was cold.

It was Dark.

...which was impossible.

Then the Black Arms cuffs didn't affect him. They should have immobilized him completely...but they didn't.

It wasn't Shadow.

It couldn't be.

Sonic sits up, slowly, painfully, focusing his Chaos Energy into his broken leg.

There was only one person who would know what happened to the real Shadow. There was only one person who could pull off something like this.

With ninety-percent of his energy pouring into his leg, he was able to get himself to stand, wobbly, to his feet. He peers inside the kitchen, the group not seeming to notice him, before he turns and limps his way over to the lab door.

Broken leg or not, he had a mission.

He was Sonic the Hedgehog, and nothing was going to stop him.

He pushes his way inside, his eyes immediately setting on the three Chaos Emeralds sitting in a glass case, shining brightly. One of them was from the lake when he and Tails went for it. The other was most likely from Knuckles. The third...he had no idea. He didn't care. The three emeralds would be plenty to heal his leg enough to get out and go where he needed to.

Problem two: footwear.

His shoes, his clothing, was at his and Shadow's house still. He certainly wasn't going back _there_... A thought hits him as he notices the cabinet on the far wall. A lightbulb goes off in his head as he makes his way over to it, opening it up to scan over the mess of items for one thing in particular.

A dark grey box with the word 'SOAP' written diagonal across it caught his attention, and he smirked to himself. The humans had put so much work into these, just for him, to show their appreciation of his heroism (or to boost their ratings, with Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius wearing their shoes). Either way, he loved them, and only wore them on special occasions.

After all, these were the shoes he had been wearing when he met Shadow for the first time.

He took the red and white sneakers out of their packaging and looked around for a particular drawer he knew Tails stuffed extra socks and clothes in down here. Once his eyes found it, he walked over and opened it, cringing at the mess inside. Trying to bite down his OCD, and the fact that he would have to chide the young fox for his mess some time later, he takes out a pair of fresh socks and gloves, and gets to work.

* * *

Dr. Eggman frowns, watching the little dot on his screen inch closer and closer at an alarming speed. Once the target was within camera range, he flips the switch and peers closely...

"Oh...shit..."

* * *

 **Author's Note (Again):**

 _Thins just got real._


	6. Six

**Author's Note:**

 _Yeah...I know...some of you are waiting on 'Welcome to My World'..._

 _...but Writer's Block is a terrible, horrible desease._

 _That's why you're getting another wonderful chapter of this wonderful story._

 _Hahahahaha! Estudio apparently loves Soap shoes XD Then again...who doesn't?_

 _And...our wonderful Guest...thank you for your...ahem...interesting review. Really. Because your cringy review really means the world to me. When I saw your comment, I died with laughter. Kill myself? Really? Sorry, dude. I'm not some edgy, emo, school kid whose gonna take it to heart and cancel this story just because you think it's shit. Really. It's just fucking stupid XDDDD "Yeah I'm gonna go kill myself now..." Get the fuck out of here XDDDD I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes._

 _So anyway...here's where everything hits the fan._

 _The truth shall be revealed..._

 _Btw, shortest chapter ever. Don't hate me._

* * *

 **Six**

"AHHH! WAIT A MINUTE!"

The crash and shatter of glass interrupted him fiercely, the large human and his hover chair flying across the room to hit the back wall. He groans, shaking his head, rubbing a hand over his none-existing hair. He blinks at the sound of sudden footsteps, and looks up in surprise as Sonic the Hedgehog approached him oddly slowly, and in his opinion, menacingly.

"Ah ha ha...Sonic...what a wonderful surprise..."

The hedgehog looked absolutely terrible. His quills and fur were ruffled and ragged, while bandages -now torn up in most spots- wrapped around his body in various locations. He stood tall, however, with his fist clenched at his sides, his blazing emerald irises narrowed sharply behind furrowed brows.

To say the Hero of Mobius looked pissed was an understatement.

He looked enraged.

Stepping up beside the doctor, he hops on the chair and grabs the collar of his red shirt, causing Eggman to swallow.

"Where. Is. He?"

The doctor blinks in surprise. "W-What? Where is who?"

Sonic growls. "You know damn well who I'm talking about. Where is Shadow?"

"Oh, right, that..." Eggman starts, slowly reaching his right arm to the arm of his chair, his fingers hovering over a button. "To be honest, Sonic, I have no idea where he is."

The cobalt mobian shakes his head. "Don't give me that! You know where he is, so spill it!"

Eggman frowns. Smashing his hand on the button, panels in the floor, walls, and ceiling opened up, letting large robots fall and walk out. Sonic turned and glared at them. They would be nothing but scrap metal in as fast as a sonic second...

A painful shock spread through his body then, and he mentally cursed himself from looking away from his enemy and letting his guard down. Eggman tossed the small tazor behind him and pushed the blue hero off of him, causing him to hit the floor with a thud. He groaned and held his arms over his chest, his eyes squeezed shut. He hated electricity.

Eggman gets up and walks over to the hedgehog, leaning down and picking up three Chaos Emeralds from the ground around him. "This plan didn't go...well...as planned I should say. You were originally supposed to collect all seven emeralds before you showed up, but I guess you're smarter than you act."

Sonic squints an eye open, watching the doctor place the three emeralds in a console beside four other gems, and his brows furrow. Eggman then presses a button on said console, and a clear, cylinder tube falls down around the blue hedgehog, and his eyes widen. It had been a trap.

He slowly, groggily, pushes himself up to his knees, sitting up to rub his temple with narrowed eyes. "Shadow..." he starts, and Eggman sighs and turns to face him.

"Sonic, I already told you I don't know where he is. I swear that one on my life. This 'fake' Shadow of mine isn't even mine. He's not an android, robot, anything to do with me. He made a deal with me, and I went with it."

Sonic raises a brow. "Who is he?"

Eggman shakes his head. "You have more important things to worry about right now, rodent."

He presses another button, and Sonic's eyes widen as the capsule lights up, electricity scattering down to him.

Pain shot through him faster and harder than he could bare. A scream tore from his lips as he curled over, holding himself as agony swept over him. Eggman scowls, watching, wondering if this would even work. The Chaos Emeralds glowed and sparked in the machine, hissing at the power they were being forced to release. Then, suddenly, a dark flame burst around the cobalt blue hedgehog, and Eggman breathed in quickly.

This better work.

The dark flame grew until Sonic's cobalt fur was a dark, midnight blue, his quills standing up as Super Sonic's would.

Dark Sonic held himself as he felt his Chaos Energy being twisted and turned, bent and shaped in a way he couldn't understand. He felt as if it was being pulled away from him, ripped from his body and taken away.

He screamed again, his ears pinned back, as another ripple of pain shot through him. He felt like he was on fire, but being stabbed with ice daggers at the same time. _Chaos, make it stop..._

And then, it did. The machine hummed and beeped, turning off. Sonic gasped and fell to his side, his fur cobalt once again, his quills flat against his head. His vision was blurry, but he could hear Eggman cheer.

"I can't believe it! It worked! This is the biggest breakthrough in Chaos Theory since my grandfather made Shadow!"

Sonic blinked, groaning, squeezing his eyes open. His mouth dropped open.

A dark, crackling ball of energy floated in now its own capsule right above him, slamming against the glass and zipping around as if it were trying to escape.

Eggman blinks in astonishment.

He had completely taken Sonic's Dark Chaos Energy from him. Now the ball of unstable energy was right there, right before his very eyes!

As terrible as it was for Sonic, he felt...accomplished. He couldn't believe he actually pulled something off like this. Especially without killing the little hedgehog...

Sonic slowly sat up, whining as pain shook him. His broken leg was throbbing, without the dark energy keeping it from hurting. He held himself, leaning against the glass, watching the ball of his energy attack the glass that kept it prisoner.

This...was not good.

The doctor looked at Sonic now, raising an odd brow. Sonic's normally emerald green eyes, were now a bright, deep gold. He stared, for a moment, before something clicked. Sonic's eyes had been blue as a child, but after he had gone Super for the first time, his eyes turned green. So...blue must have been Dark Chaos Energy, while gold was light energy. All Sonic had left was light, which is why his eyes were golden yellow... He sighs. Well, that was one mystery figured out. Blue and yellow make green. He hums to himself in thought. Sonic's eyes changed based on his Chaos Energy... He wondered why they turned red when he went Super, then.

A crack split through the glass, causing Eggman to flinch and come back to reality. "Oh, shoot."

If the energy was able to break that glass, which was specially made to hold Dark Sonic himself, then there was going to be some problems. If that glass couldn't hold it, then nothing could. Well, except Sonic, but he was born with it.

Eggman frowns, his brows furrowing. If nothing but Sonic could hold that energy in...then that meant...

A loud bang brought his attention to his right, where his robots raised their guns and aimed them at the group that had just broken through the wall. Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Rouge stood, all in fighting positions, only to gasp and shriek in shock when they got a glance at the situation.

"Sonic!" Tails and Knuckles call at the same time, and the Blue Blur frowns. Knuckles stares at the dark energy, his eyes widening. "What the hell did you do?"

Eggman grins and folds his hands behind his back. "Marvelous, isn't it? I extracted his Dark Chaos Energy from him. Now all it needs is a vessel."

Tails's mouth dropped open, and the others turn and stare in bewilderment. Knuckles blinks, shaking his head. "Wait...you took his energy from him? Do you have any idea what that'll do?!"

Eggman shrugs. "I'm not an idiot, unlike you, apparently. I wouldn't have done something as insane as this if I didn't have a plan."

A dark flash in the middle of the room revealed none other than the cause of all their problems.

The fake Shadow.

A dark grins curves the being's lips, and his eyes fall on the dark energy in front of him. "So much for a plan, doctor," he calls behind him, turning to look down at Sonic who still sat in the capsule. Sonic's eyes narrow, and he grins. "Hello, beautiful."

Eggman steps forward. "We had a deal. You get your energy, now leave him alone."

'Shadow' turns and smirks at the human. "Oh, of course, of course. I have no need for him now, anyway."

"What the hell is going on?" Rouge speaks up, pushing passed Knuckles to stand closer to the scene. The fake hedgehog turns and grins at her, before holding his hand up in front of him. The dark energy in the capsule crackled and sparked, and he loved it.

"I suppose I can discard this pettish act already."

The capsule shatters, making Sonic yelp and hold up his hands over his head, and the energy shoots forward, straight at the dark hedgehog.

It stops in midair, right in front of him, and he catches it, a dark flame bursting around him. The mobians in the room tense up, ready to expect anything, while Eggman steps back as far as he can go.

They watch in shock as the hedgehog absorbs the Dark Chaos Energy, and they stare as the red in his spines turns a dark purple, than a odd tealish grey.

Sonic gasps.

"You-!"

The black and grey hedgehog grins as he finishes absorbing the energy. "Ah, you do remember me... Figures your Chaos would have wanted you to, my friend."

The group stares at him, feeling an odd sense of deja vu, but unable to figure it out.

"Who...who are you...?" Tails shakily asks, and the hedgehog laughs.

"We have all already met. My name is Mephiles. Mephiles the Dark." He turns and snaps his fingers, and a flash erupted across the room.

And then the memories hit them all at once.

The Sun Festival. Iblis. Silver coming back in time to warn them. Mephiles. Sonic...dying?

And then Solaris. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver going Super to save the world.

They all stared, silent, all except Eggman and Sonic, who already seemed to know everything.

Mephiles turns and grins at Sonic one last time. "I have to say, if I would have known what you are from the very beginning, I would have taken you a long time ago, pet."

Sonic snarls, and the darker hedgehog only laughs.

There was one last, dark purple flash, and Mephiles was gone.


	7. Seven

**Seven**

"What. The. Hell?!"

Knuckles's outburst seemed fitting for their situation, and Rouge decided to chime in, as Tails and Amy ran over to Sonic. "That was Mephiles the whole time?! So where is Shadow?!"

Eggman sighs and pulls out another chair beside his desk, sitting down in it and crossing his legs. "Mephiles came to me with his plan to capture Sonic's Dark Chaos Energy. I was in charge of the extraction. The only thing I had to do with Shadow was giving Mephiles the electric shackles to capture him to begin with."

Sonic groans as Tails and Amy help him up, sitting him on a metal box sticking out of the floor. Knuckles growls, pushing a robot over as he steps up to Eggman with raised fists. "And what was your guys' deal supposed to be? What do you get out of all of this?"

The doctor strokes his mustache with a frown. "Sonic's energy for Sonic's life."

The blue hero in question looks up with wide eyes, blinking in confusion. "W-What?"

Eggman lets his hand fall to his side. "Mephiles plans on taking over the universe. Our agreement was that he leave Mobius, and you, alone."

Tails looks up, his ears perked up tall. "But...why?"

The doctor shrugs. "What good would it do me if I let Mephiles destroy this world? As for Sonic, Mephiles planned on taking him with him. I told him no."

"Why?" Sonic coughs out, his voice hoarse. "What good is it to you if I'm still here?"

Eggman looks and meets Sonic's now bright golden eyes, and the room goes silent. The group stares, waiting in confusion, before the human speaks up again.

"I have my reasons. If anything, the only one whose going to be the end of you, it's me."

Sonic scoffs and rolls his eyes, not buying it. Eggman turns in his swivel chair, and presses a button on the console in front of him.

"First, we need to stop Mephiles."

Knuckles scowls, crossing his arms. "And how do we do that, exactly?"

Eggman begins to type something. "Sonic's Chaos Energy was specially made for him. He is the only one that can control it. If enough time goes by, his energy will grow too unstable for Mephiles to control, and it will escape, causing, well...chaos. It needs to get back inside Sonic as quickly as possible."

The group seems to sit up a bit, ready to hear what Eggman had to say, and all of it.

"You can probably guess that Mephiles wants to reunite with Iblis, and form Solaris once again. However, Silver sealed Mephiles away inside your friend, Blaze, and sent her away back to her home dimension."

Sonic and Tails's eyes widen. "He's going after Blaze?!" the former exclaims.

Eggman nods grimly. "That is most likely the case. If he can get to Iblis before you get your energy back from him, there will be a high chance you won't be able to get it back at all. In turn, you will lose your immortality, and your light energy will grow unstable, giving us another Fleetway incident."

Sonic pales, and Knuckles looks up in shock. "You know Sonic's immortal?"

Tails and Amy look at Knuckles now, their eyes wide. "Wait..." Amy starts, and Eggman nods. "Of course I knew. Anyone could figure it out. His energy is strong enough to heal him fast enough so he can never die. When we brought him 'back to life' after Mephiles 'killed' him, all we were really doing was speeding up his body's healing process. He would have came back eventually, but maybe after a few years or so."

Tails looks at Sonic, baffled. "You're immortal, and you didn't tell us? Do you have any idea how many heart attacks you could have saved me from?"

The blue hedgehog sweatdrops, ruffling his little brother's hair. "Tails, you've never had a heart attack, for one. Two, it never really mattered to me."

"Never mattered?!" Amy exclaims, causing Sonic to flinch. Eggman clears his throat, causing the three to settle down. "Anyway," he starts slowly, bringing their attention back to him. "We need to get your energy back from Mephlies as soon as possible. This means you'll have to go to Blaze's home dimension and stop him before he gets to her first."

Knuckles looks at Sonic, who was still morally injured. "We can take the Chaos Emeralds, stop by the Master Emerald, and heal you."

Sonic frowns. "But what about Shadow?"

Eggman turns in his chair, drumming his fingers on the arm. "Tails, Amy, and I will stay here and look for him. Knuckles and Rouge will go with Sonic. There's a chance he could be on either of these worlds, or on a different one entirely."

The group nods, and Sonic bites his bottom lip. "We'll find him," Eggman continues, "but our top priority is stopping Mephiles. I'm sure he's okay. He is the Ultimate Lifeform after all."

Sonic nods, abielt hesitantly. The doctor was right. Shadow could wait. He had a universe to save.

"So, we have a plan," Tails says.

Knuckles throws his arms up. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"

* * *

Knuckles gives his friend a small frown. "Are you alright?"

Rouge perks up at the question, watching their blue friend with as much concern as Knuckles was. Sonic doesn't look at them, his bright yellow eyes instead locked on the Master Emerald in front of them. "I'm…" he starts slowly, seemingly unsure with himself. He finally turns and looks at the pair beside him, letting a small smile curve his lips. "I'm okay," he answers, causing both bat and echidna look at him with surprise. Sonic shrugs at their reactions, looking back at the Master Emerald. "I mean, it wasn't Shadow, so I know he isn't bad."

Rouge smiles softly. "You got a point, hon."

"It gets creepier the more I think about it," Knuckles mutters, making Sonic sigh.

"Can we just get this over with?"

Rouge laughs lightly as Knuckles shrugs, the red guardian walking in between Sonic and his prized Master Emerald. He lifts one hand to place on Sonic's head, while his other hand lightly touched the emerald delicately, as if a simple poke would be enough to shatter it into nothing. He closes his eyes and focuses the powerful energy from the emerald to his friend, himself being the bridge between the two beings. Sonic inhaled sharply, closing his eyes, as his pain flared up for a short second, before it slowly settled down to a nice, gentle buzz.

Rouge watches curiously, as the green glow spread over Sonic brightly. His cobalt fur seemed to turn emerald green beneath it, making him look almost similar to a nasty counterpart…she didn't want to think of…of his.

After a moment or two of silence and energy radiating off all three Sonic, Knuckles, and the emerald, the glow dissipated and the former two blink their eyes open slowly. Sonic frowns and taps his foot on the ground, his previously broken leg not even bearing a scratch. Knuckles smiles and raises a brow. "Feel better?"

Sonic nods, smiling softly in return. "Yeah, feels great."

"So," Rouge starts, "Chaos Control?"

Sonic nods, holding up both his hands, and the two watch in slight awe as the seven emeralds appeared in midair around him like mist. "I'll have to go Super to get all three of us there. If it were just me, it wouldn't be a problem."

The couple nods and watches as Sonic closes his eyes and focuses on the energy of the Chaos Emeralds, his quills slowly rising and his fur turning gold.

 _I've got to save Blaze, stop Mephiles, find Shadow, and beat the shit out of him for leaving in the first place._

He takes in a deep breath, and lets the Chaos Energy flow through him.

" _Chaos…!"_

* * *

 _His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he took in a deep breath of cool air. It was always so cold in the small cabin-like house, at least from dusk 'til dawn. He enjoyed it, however. It always meant that his bed was so much warmer and more comfortable. With a soft sigh he slowly rolls over to his side, his half-lidded eyes falling on the person who slept peacefully beside him. He blinks slowly, giving his sleeping mate a small, yet warm smile. The light from the windows seemed to reflect off of the bright, yet deep cobalt fur pelt, soft and silky to the touch. The hedgehog lay somewhat on his back, his head turned to the side, his right arm up and resting under the pillow, his other arm disappeared somewhere on the other side. One of his legs were bent slightly up under the thick blankets, the other one curled up a bit on its side. A gentle rise and fall of a fawn furred chest spoke of a good, content dream, and once and a while a twitch of a blue ear and a flutter of dark lashes would follow._

 _Shadow reached over, letting his black furred fingers feel over the sleeping hero's light muzzle, caressing his the side of his face delicately, as if he were afraid the beautiful mobian would shatter at a simple touch._ _He watches as Sonic turns his head, burying his muzzle into his hand, feeling him breathe in and out with a warm breath. He smiles once again, enjoying how relaxed and comfortable his mate was. Sonic was only ever relaxed and calm when they were together. He trusted Shadow with his life, which was surprising to him, considering the blue hero had lived on his own for so long, and has been betrayed and hurt so wrong. Sonic protected the world, and Shadow protected Sonic._

 _He scoots closer to his love, his life, and wraps and arm around his waist. He pulled Sonic close to him, and nuzzled the top of his head. He presses a soft kiss there, before closing his eyes, breathing in his scent and feeling onto his Chaos Energy._

 _Maria always talked about love, and romance, and how one day she wanted Shadow to find someone to love and protect. She made him read and study about love, how to treat someone right, what love was, and how to go about it. Gerald had thought it was a great idea, and of course provided Shadow with all the knowledge and material he would ever need, if not a bit too much…_

 _At first Shadow had thought it was pointless and useless information. He never thought the education would ever come in handy in life. After all, G.U.N. was training him to be a weapon, a monster, a project, not a person with a heart or soul._

 _Then, so many years later, here was Sonic. An immortal Chaos Being with a heart as gold as Maria's was. At first Shadow hated him. He couldn't believe, he didn't want to believe, that anyone could be as good as Maria. Then, after some time, he got to know Sonic. He listened to Sonic, ran with Sonic, watched Sonic, and began to realize that the blue hero was just as good and spirited as she had been. He wanted nothing but to help the people of this planet, give them a reason to be happy, and to be free._

 _After learning of Sonic's past, at least with Dr. Ovi Kintobor, and the accident that changed him into Dr. Ivo Robotnik, he changed his perspective completely. Sonic had to fight the only one that had ever cared for him, and does nearly every week. He has to take down the mad human with the thought in the back of his head that this villain used to be like a father to him. It was why Sonic could never finish the doctor off, ever. Shadow couldn't imagine having to fight Maria the way Sonic fights the doctor. He just couldn't do it._

 _Sonic wouldn't speak of anything in his life before Kintobor. He hardly said a word about what happened after. It made Shadow worry, about what Sonic has been through in life. From what he's overheard from Eggman, apparently it's been rough._

 _Sonic wasn't a trusting person, Shadow had learned over time. He wasn't used to someone taking care of him, or opening up to someone so easily. He was used to playing the superhero, that had no problems, no worries, and was always happy and proud. He did it for Tails, and for Mobius._

 _After the two of them had gotten closer, Sonic began to open up a bit. He cursed and ranted when he was frustrated, fought Shadow when he was aggravated, broke down when he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't need to hide or mask himself in front of the anti-hero. He didn't have to pretend to be happy when he wasn't. Shadow supported him, the same way Sonic supported him._

 _After a nasty fight with the doctor, Sonic was injured morally. Shadow had lost his composure, and in a panic attack he freaked out for the first time since Maria's death. He ran after where Sonic had fallen, picked him up and shook his shoulders, begging for him to wake up. It was then he realized how much Sonic meant to him. How much he wanted to protect him. How much he wanted him to be safe, happy, live, and well. He wanted to protect him, hold him, own him, and never let anything happen to him._

 _According to what Maria used to tell him, he realized he was in love._

 _When he kissed the blue hero, and the cobalt gem returned the favor, it was like the sun had broken through any dark clouds in Shadow's mind. It gave the Ultimate Lifeform a sense of peace and contentment he hadn't had in over fifty years. He was able to let Maria go, with the final promise that he would carry out her wish, and love and protect Sonic with his life._

 _The first time they made love, Shadow had gone back and made sure to go over what he had read on the ARK. Maybe a bit too much research was put into it, but he wanted to make sure he didn't hurt Sonic, and that everything was perfect._

 _Turns out, it was better than perfect. He woke up warm and snuggled against the blue hedgehog, who purred softly in his sleep, nuzzling his lover happily._

 _Now, two months later, here he was, laying snug against the one who made his life into something so much more._

 _A beep from his nightstand ruined the good thoughts in Shadow's mind, and with an irritated sigh, he carefully rolls back over to grab the communicator on the wooden table. 'TOWERS' was written in bold letters across the screen, and Shadow inwardly scowled._

' _Mission for you. Bring Dark Rider. Meet Rouge and Omega at coordinates S9 80 72. Will brief you when there. Potential Chaos Emerald.'_

 _Shadow sighs and looks back at his mate. Sonic was still fast asleep, and not waking up anytime soon. Knowing the hero will be pissed when he wakes up, and Shadow isn't there to cuddle him, the dark hedgehog decides maybe he should make a breakfast for him real quick, just so Sonic isn't that mad._

 _On second thought, the last time he tried to do something like this, Sonic threw the plate down and cursed him for not waking him up. 'Never leave on a mission without telling me, dammit! What if something happens?! Chaos, you know it freaks me out when you leave…'_

 _Shadow had a suspicion Sonic was scared the dark lifeform would leave and never come back. After all, he's been abandoned countless times since he was just an infant. It had been hard enough to convince Sonic that he could trust him to take care of him._

 _With another sigh, Shadow types quickly that he will leave when ready, and tosses the small wrist device on the table. He reaches over and shakes his boyfriend, nuzzling him gently. "Sonic, wake up. I need to go somewhere."_

 _Sonic groans and throws an arm over Shadow's torso, almost knocking the wind out of him. "Nnnnaah…" he groans sleepily. "No more missions…."_

 _The onyx hedgehog gives a hoarse chuckle. "I can't say no, and you know that. Rouge and Omega are already there."_

 _Sonic sighs, squinting his eyes open to peer with pretty green eyes at his mate. "Ugh…..finneee…."_

 _A chuckle, breakfast, and shower later, Sonic stood at the front door, arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the frame. "I can't go with you?"_

 _Shadow turns and smiles, trailing a hand down the side of the younger's muzzle, to his chin, lifting his head up to meet his eyes. Sonic was a bit shorter than him without his shoes on._

" _I would love to take you, but I don't even know what this mission is about yet, my pet. All I know is that there's a Chaos Emerald involved, and I'll be gone for a little while."_

 _Sonic tilts his head, leaning into Shadow's hand. "How long?"_

" _Two weeks, at the most."_

 _Sonic scowls, closing his eyes, his blue ears bending backwards at the answer. Shadow chuckles and leans down, capturing Sonic's lips in his own. The blue hero couldn't resist, and leans forward on his toes, wrapping his arms around Shadow's neck. After pulling away, Shadow lets his forehead rest against Sonic's, and they meet eyes. "I promise I won't be back any later. Two weeks, not a second more. We've been separated longer."_

 _Sonic chuckles. "Yeah, but…we weren't together then."_

 _Another chuckle from the usually stoic hedgehog. "I'll see you later, faker."_

 _He kisses him one last time, pulling him into a tight hug._

 _A soft whisper of 'I love you,' was passed into a blue ear, and Sonic smiles, resting against the other with all the comfort in the world._

 _Shadow was gone before he could even say goodbye._

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _Okay, yeah I know I've been gone a while. My laptop was busted and I was forced to go on hiatus. This update is pretty much to say, "Hey, I'm not dead (yet)!" and get back into life._

 _I have a comic I'm working on as of now, so if you're interested, find my deviantart. It will be posted hopefully by August…something._

 _Anyway, probably only three or fourish more chapters left. Next chapter we'll be traveling to Blaze's dimension, while Tails, Eggman, and Amy try to find poor Shadow._

 _There may or may not be a pink-Knuckles coming up. Just gonna drop that one in there._

 _Again, leave your thoughts, and thank you for being patient with me. Hopefully a bit was explained in this chapter, like why Eggman was working with Mephiles, or why Shadow was so good with Sonic during their first time together. It's kind of a headcanon of mine that Maria would have wanted Shadow to learn about love and romance. She is a girl with big dreams, after all. Of course Gerald would have taught Shadow about the more scientific/health side of it all, but we don't need to get into that ;D Worst class of my life. I hated health class._


	8. Eight

**Eight**

" _...Control!"_

The trio appeared in the middle of… _hell._

Mephiles didn't hesitate in his plan to wipe out the universe, as the Kingdom of Soleana was in a heap of flames and chaos. Super Sonic, along with Knuckles and Rouge, stared with widen eyes at the scene they now stood the center of. Buildings were collapsing, as townspeople were running from purple, shadowing vines that snaked out after them with the intent to slaughter them in cold blood.

Sonic's eyes narrow sharply, dangerously. This was _his_ power, being used to kill and destroy anything it touches. Dark Chaos Energy wasn't supposed to be used like this. It was supposed to be calm, gentle, and tranquil, like the night was compared to the chaotic bustling of the day.

This…was just insanity. Despair. Murder.

The deep growl from the golden hedgehog made both Knuckles and Rouge jump. They turn back to look at him, to see him fuming a scarlet red aura. His red eyes flashed brightly in warning, before he disappeared in a gold flash.

Knuckles swallows. "If he's not careful, he could revert to Fleetway Sonic…"

Rouge blinks, looking at the echidna with confused eyes. "What is…Fleetway Sonic?"

The guardian shakes his head and turns around, beginning to run forward to help stop Mephiles. "A nightmare. Come on! We gotta help these people!"

* * *

According to the scrolls and notes left from Knuckles's tribe and father, Dark energy was technically better than Light energy. Light energy was stronger than Dark, but harder to control and can get carried away more easily than Dark energy. Sonic never believed it, however, when he was younger, after having many incidents with his Dark energy.

Then, his second time going Super Sonic took a turn for the worst. He got too angry as Tails was injured, and lost control over his emotions. He was introduced to Fleetway Super Sonic, who was far worse than his Dark form.

Now as he flew over the devastation and terror Mephiles created with said Dark Energy, he was again at a doubt for which was worse.

Homes were burnt to the ground, people were screaming and crying, blood was spilled and lives were lost here.

All because of his energy.

He had to remind himself that Mephiles was the one in control, and not himself. Mephiles was purposely doing this just because he wanted to. Sonic would never want such a thing.

He found himself scanning the area for his friend, knowing she would be at the thickest of the flames, or the heart of the battle. A bright flash caught his attention slightly east, and he turned and flew off in stated direction.

She was there, alright. Blaze the Cat, with all seven Sol Emeralds absorbed in her, was in her Burning form; her fur a bright pink, her eyes a crimson red. She was like a sun, bursting and literally blazing where she flew. She turned her head, her eyes widening when they found a golden hedgehog, a hedgehog she hasn't seen in months.

"Sonic?!" she calls, unsure but grateful of his presence. He calls back to her, flying up beside her.

"Blaze, we need to get you to safety!"

Her eyes widen. "What? Are you crazy? Look at my kingdom!"

Super shakes his head, grabbing her shoulders firmly. "Look at me," he says, his voice hard yet shaky. "Mephiles is after you, he wants Iblis, and if he gets you, you won't even have a world to put a kingdom on!"

Her eyes narrow, and she looks down regretfully. "Sonic…I can't leave them."

"Then we fight them off, and get you as far from Mephiles as possible."

She looks up at his proposal, before nodding. She could agree with those terms.

"Alright," she nods, and he gives an almost too-relieved smile.

* * *

Knuckles slides across the burnt and broken gravel, out of the burning house right as it collapsed to the ground. The child in his arms was screaming and crying in fear and pain, and the echidna could only grit his teeth as he took off, wondering, hoping, praying that the parent was okay. The baby sitter didn't make it…

His eyes scanned for Rouge as he carried the child to safety, hoping she was okay. He wouldn't be able to handle it if something happened to her…

He spotted her just not too far away, helping an elderly woman and her granddaughter limp out of a smoking house. He runs up to them, holding out the child in his arms. "Can you take him?" he asks, and the woman nods. "Get to shelter, as far from here as you can!" Knuckles orders, and the trio run off as quickly as possible. Rouge watches with sorrow, hoping they would be okay.

She turns to look at the guardian that stood tense beside her, and blinks in confusion. He was staring up at the sky.

She looks up to where his line of vision followed, and her eyes widen slightly. Both Sonic and Blaze in their super forms were dashing this way and that, fighting off the dark creatures and helping anyone who was still around. After a moment, the two landed in front of their friends, panting and shaking.

"Are you guys okay?" Knuckles asks, and Sonic gives a quick nod.

"Y-Yeah…we can't find Mephiles."

Blaze turns her head to look around, and her ears flatten angrily. Her people…

The destruction seemed to never end. What could they do? There was so much.

Knuckles swallows and looks around, up at the red, smoky sky, back down to the flames and debris crackling throughout the town. He looks back at Sonic, who looked absolutely pissed beyond belief, to Blaze, who looked just as angry, watching her kingdom burn down.

Chaos knew how much energy they had left, and if Mephiles decided to strike while they were down, they would all be done for. With a heavy breath, Knuckles reaches out and grabs Sonic's arm. "Let me use the Chaos Emeralds. I could help so much more this way."

Super Sonic frowns, giving his friend a concerned look. "Last time you went super, Knux-"

The echidna shakes his head and cuts him off. "I'll be fine. That was a long time ago, Sonic. Let me help."

The golden hedgehog stood there, silent for a moment, while Rouge and Blaze watched intensely. With a defeated sigh, Sonic nods. "Alright, fine."

Before either of them could do a thing, however, a large ball of Dark Chaos Energy hit all four of them. Blaze went flying backwards, while Sonic and Knuckles were separated and landing on opposite sides. Rouge went sailing into a building, where her back hit and she fell with a groan.

Sonic groans, his gold fur flashing blue for a second as he pushed himself up to his feet, his knees bent slightly as he tried to stand straight. Before he could even clear his foggy head, he felt a hand grasp his throat and lift him off the ground, making him gasp and kick in surprise.

His eyes fall on Mephiles, who stood grinning darkly up at him. "He makes me promise to leave you alone, only for you to come running back to me, beautiful."

Sonic's eyes narrow, and he kicks his legs violently. "As if! Where's Shadow?!"

The dark hedgehog rolls his eyes, before tossing Sonic away to hit a wall and crash through it. He steps through the debris, stepping over the hedgehog to knee down in front of him, straddling his waist. Bending over, he nuzzles the side of Sonic's muzzle. "Oh, don't worry about him, my love. Turns out 'Ultimate Lifeform' doesn't exactly mean 'immortal.'"

Sonic's eyes shrink, and he lets out a small blast of energy, sending Mephiles hurtling away. He jumps up, shooting after the demon, slamming into him, and exploding into three more buildings. He stomps his foot on top of his chest, his voice a deep snarl. "What did you do to him?!"

Mephiles turns his head, spitting the blood from his mouth, before looking up at Sonic with a dark grin.

"Why, I killed him of course."

* * *

Knuckles runs and stumbles through the wreckage, praying to any god who may hear him for Sonic to be okay. His eyes catch a golden light in a torn down building just ahead, and he begins to run faster.

Then, an explosion unlike any other burst from the building, sending him backwards in a cry of shock. The Chaos Blast spread across the town, completely killing any dark creature it came across, while turning the buildings and debris into ash. Knuckles throws his hands over his head, cursing under his breath as the blast swept over his, scorching his back. Howling winds and the crashing of debris challenged the strength of a tornado, and the guardian could swear he heard Sonic _screaming._

By the time it calmed down, and the echidna could look up, there was a hefty crater left behind from the blast, and at its center, stood a cobalt hedgehog, collapsed on his knees, bent forward, looking lifeless.

"Sonic!" Knuckles called, staggering to his feet and running, stumbling over to his friend. He slid down like a baseball player, grabbing Sonic's shoulders and shaking them feverently. "What happened, Sonic?! What did he do?!"

"Shadow…"

Knuckles blinked, staring at the hero with disbelief. "What did he say?"

Sonic looks up, and Knuckles felt his heart stop. Sonic's emerald eyes were dark and dull, broken and defeated. "Knuckles…" he murmurs slowly. "He killed him…He…Sh-Shadow…"

The guardian's eyes widen. No…Shadow was the Ultimate Lifeform!

"There's no way!" Knuckles exclaims, his purple eyes wide, shaking his head. "Shadow's immortal, he can't die!"

Sonic just fell against the echidna, limp and unmoving. The sound of pounding footsteps got louder and louder the closer they got, and Knuckles looks up to see Blaze in her normal form, and Rouge right behind her. "What happened?!" the latter exclaims.

Knuckles looks back down to Sonic, shaking his head in disbelief. "He…he said Mephiles killed Shadow…"

Rouge's eyes shrink. "What?!"

Blaze frowns. "But I thought Shadow couldn't die…"

Rouge fell to her knees, her eyes burning. "N-No…I mean…he…"

There was a chilled silence, before Sonic slowly pushes away from Knuckles, surprising all of them. They watch the blue hero stagger to his feet, his dull eyes scanning the area around them. They watch in slight awe as a blue aura surrounds him, and he closes his eyes.

"What is he doing?" Blaze asks.

Knuckles frowns. "Shadow marked and claimed him. They're tied and bond by Chaos Energy. Since Sonic has all seven emeralds, he'd be able to feel if Shadow was on this world or not. He couldn't feel him on Mobius…"

The purple feline blinks in surprise, looking at the guardian with slight shock. "They're…mates?"

The echidna nods and stands to his feet. "Yes, they are."

Sonic frowns as he lets his and the emerald's energy scatter out around as far as it could reach. Over mountains, through forests, across valleys, under oceans. Shadow couldn't be gone. He had to be somewhere.

It was there.

There was a small spark. It was small, but it was there, somewhere. He was alive. If he wasn't, Sonic wouldn't be able to feel him, right?

Sonic lets out a deep breath and opens his eyes, his aura fading. The trio looked at him expectedly.

"I don't think…he's here…" Sonic starts, his voice hoarse and choked. "…but I feel him…somewhere. It doesn't mean…he's still alive, because his energy would linger with him until it was released from his body but…" he trails off, doubt flowing through every vein in his body. "It's there…and it's warm…"

"He's alive," Knuckles states. "We have to believe so."

They all doubted it, but there was hope. "Mephiles could just be lying to get to you, Sonic."

Rouge wipes her eyes and stands up, trying to dust the dirt and grime off of her. "Where is he anyway?"

Sonic shakes his head. "I don't know. I kinda lost it back there."

Knuckles frowns. "I'm just glad you didn't go Fleetway…"

The cobalt hero shakes his head. "I almost did. That's why I released that Chaos Blast. If I didn't, I would have turned."

"You drained yourself on purpose." The Blue Blur nods.

"So…" Blaze starts. "He wants Iblis, so he needs me."

"And he has Sonic's Dark energy," Rouge adds.

Knuckles crosses his arms, scowling at the ground. "We need to get Sonic's energy back, and do something about Mephiles."

Sonic looks at Blaze. "How are you on Sol Energy?"

She nods. "Fine for now. The emeralds need some time to regenerate."

Rouge blinks, looking between the two. "Sol?"

"The Sol Emeralds," Blaze explains, and Sonic adds: "Solaris is like, the Chaos of this dimension."

Rouge deadpans. "So…why is Solaris separated into Iblis and Mephiles?"

The group went quiet. "Iblis…is made of pure fire…" Knuckles murmurs. "Wait…what?"

Sonic frowns, looking at Knuckles with a tilt of his head. "What's wrong?"

"Solaris," the echidna starts, "is made from the element of fire, Iblis, and darkness, Mephiles. Iblis gets a perfect form when he absorbs the emeralds, right?"

Sonic frowns, and Rouge places her hands on her hips. "So?"

Knuckles shakes his head. "I'm confused. Chaos is water by itself. Does that mean Chaos has another half that forms into something like Solaris?"

The group went silent.

"What does it matter then?" Blaze asks. Knuckles frowns. "It means that Iblis should have had the same fate as Chaos. He should be sealed inside this world's Master Emerald. I just don't understand what Mephiles is, where he goes, or what we should do with him…"

Sonic looks down, closing his eyes, thinking. "Didn't you and Shadow find Mephiles inside some kind of scepter?"

Rouge nods. "Yes, but it broke when Mephiles was released."

The hedgehog taps his foot on the ground, trying to think back to what he has learned from over the years. Knuckles had a point.

Chaos was only a liquid form of energy, while Iblis was a flaming form of its own energy. Chaos lives inside the Master Emerald, the controller, to stay under control and live peacefully. Iblis was without its emerald, so it was chaotic and destroying. Then there was Mephiles…who could combine with Iblis to form Solaris…but something about it was wrong.

The gods were supposed to be good, yet Mephiles was the complete opposite of this. Chaos and Iblis by themselves weren't that hard to defeat, but Solaris took all three Super Sonic, Shadow, and Silver to take down.

What if beings like Chaos and Iblis were only one half of their true, godly forms?

What if Mephiles wasn't the true, other half?

He was a demon.

"Mephiles destroyed this world's Master Emerald to release Iblis and attempt to become a god he never was." Sonic stated, making the others jump. "He has nothing to truly do with Iblis or Solaris. He's just a fake who wants what he wants. He uses his power to combine with Iblis and form something that isn't Solaris, but a completely different entity."

He looks at Knuckles now. "Solaris is a _god._ One of the seven gods that formed this universe. Do you really think Silver, Shadow, and I would have been able to take it down that easily?"

It all made sense. "So Iblis and Chaos are only a part of their true forms. Mephiles is just some random demon hanging around wanting to be more than what he really is."

Blaze crosses her arms. "So what of the other halves? The true halves?"

Sonic shakes his head. "Who knows? What matters is that Mephiles isn't a part of Solaris, so we can destroy him. Iblis needs to be sealed inside your world's Master Emerald."

The cat scowls slightly. "Impossible. Our world's emerald was destroyed years ago, before I was even born."

"No it wasn't," Knuckles starts. "It was only shattered. The pieces should still be scattered around your world somewhere. The only problem is we wouldn't be able to find them without the Guardian of the Master Emerald."

Blaze frowns. "How are you so sure?"

Sonic gives a hoarse chuckle. "Knuckles is the guardian of our world's Master Emerald. He knows his shit, trust me."

The echidna nods, and the cat frowns. "So how would we find the guardian?"

Sonic stretches down to his toes. "We find this world's Angel Island. Problem is, it won't be floating without an emerald, and this world is mostly covered by water and islands."

Knuckles groans. "How the hell are we going to find it then?"

Rouge speaks up finally, having been quiet to listen to their theories and conversation. She looks at Blaze questioningly. "Don't you have any old books or documents about it?"

The feline shrugs. "In the castle library, if it wasn't destroyed by Mephiles."

Sonic stands straight, his brows furrowed. "Then you and Knuckles go. Rouge and I will stay behind to help anyone down here who may be hurt or lingering around still."

The echidna frowns. "Are you sure?"

Blaze gives the ruby animal a pleading glance. "I'm worried about my people…"

"Just go," Rouge starts. "It's best we stick two and two. Let us know if you find anything."

The guardian sighs and runs a hand over his head. "Fine…but be careful."

* * *

"How are we even going to start?" Tails asks, staring up at the monitor with worrisome eyes. Eggman's brows furrow as he considers this, trying to determine if there really was an easy way to do this.

Finding Shadow wasn't going to be easy at all. They had a whole Mobius to cover, not to mention Soleana, or Blaze's world. They would have to track his Chaos Energy, and even then, Mephiles could have hidden him somewhere his energy can't be detected. For all they know, Shadow could even be on another world entirely.

When they captured Shadow, however the doctor had made special electric shackles to keep him immobilized. Mephiles claimed he didn't need such a thing, but Eggman reminded him that the dark hedgehog wouldn't have asked for help if he didn't need it.

The shackles themselves were based on old copies he had made years ago, when Sonic first rose as the leader of the Freedom Fighters. Of course they were old and ill-designed, but after some tweaking the human managed to upgrade them enough to completely immobilize the self-proclaimed Ultimate Lifeform. They had worked, but there was a catch…

If Shadow hadn't already destroyed the shackles, there was a chance he could track them, which in turn would lead them directly to the biohog. If this didn't work, they would be stuck with the Chaos tracking plan, and that would take far too long.

"The shackles I had on Shadow," Eggman starts, "if they aren't broken, should still have the tracking device installed into them."

Tails perks up, his namesakes waving behind him excitedly. "That's perfect!"

The doctor quickly begins typing on his computer console, his mind made up. "Sonic took the Tornado with him to the Sol dimension…please tell me you have another plane somewhere?"

The fox nods. "Of course I do!"

"Then go get it. I just found the coordinates of the shackles."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _If things in this chapter seemed confusing, don't overthink it. The theories and ideas I am using in this chapter are going to be the same ones I use in my Comic Series, 'Sonic Chaos.' It'll be on Deviantart and Google Plus hopefully by the 8_ _th_ _of next month._

… _Would you guys hate me if I kill Shadow? Yeah, no don't answer that._

 _Again, thank you for the reviews and thoughts, you guys crack me up. I seen that a few people have already joined my Sonadow Community on here, so props to that. I was going to post a story for my fanfiction anniversary/birthday this past 15_ _th_ _, but I forgot it was my birthday :/ Yeah, don't ask. I'll remember Sonic's birthday over my own._

 _I plan on finishing this story this week, if not today, so look forward to it. I will update my other stories once I get the prologue of 'Sonic Chaos' drawn and published, since that has a deadline._

 _Also, RIP Sonic Archie Comics. It pisses me off beyond hell, but they said it wasn't completely canceled, so there's still hope._


	9. Nine

**Nine**

Rouge gave the blue hero a sympathetic look. He was doing his best to keep his composure, but she could see him slipping.

Everything was falling apart so quickly. Shadow wasn't Shadow, but Mephiles, a demon. Shadow was still missing, with the possibility of him being dead. Mephiles wasn't the true other half of Solaris, and needed to be killed. Iblis needed to be sealed inside the Master Emerald of this world, yet they couldn't do that without the Master Emerald Guardian…and then the emerald needed to be restored, then they had to actually fight Mephiles to get Sonic's energy back…

…and then they had to go home with the mystery of whether or not Shadow was alive, or if they could find him.

She remembered something Shadow had told her once, during a rant not about five months into their relationship:

" _He's had a hell of a life, and doesn't want to share any of it. He's so willing to listen to anything I say, yet he's too stubborn to admit anything he's ever been through…"_

 _The female bat tilts her head slightly. "Well, Shadow you have to remember, it wasn't exactly easy for you to tell him everything, now was it? Even though we all know most of everything, you still had a hard time with it, didn't you?"_

 _He scowls, stopping his action of pacing back and forth across the empty floor of 'Club Rouge.' The female continues. "No one knows a thing about Sonic, not even Tails, and those two together are closer than anything I have ever seen. He's never told anyone, nor has anyone ever tried so hard to pry into that thick head of his."_

 _Shadow's ears flick back. "He's scared?"_

" _Most likely, darling," Rouge starts, crossing her legs one over the other. "From what Tails and Knuckles have told me, Sonic's been on his own for a long time, and never really has had anyone to take care of him. No real parents, no real guardians. Being so close to you and having you there to fill that void probably scares him more than he can handle, which is why he keeps pushing you away."_

 _Shadow sighs and rubs a hand over his eyes. "Because he's so used to being on his own, and putting on that ignorant mask all the time…"_

 _Rouge gives her comrade a small smile. "Sadly. He probably puts on a 'happy-go-lucky' mask for Tails and Mobius, so they don't lose hope in him and see him as a hero."_

 _Shadow looks down, and she could see the wheels turning in his head. The bat sighs as she stands up, walking over to the hedgehog she called her little brother and nudged him playfully. "Hey, don't stress out over it. Give him some time, alright? He's so used to standing up for himself…I mean…he has a world on his shoulders, sunshine. Sonic protects the world, he's never had anyone to protect him."_

 _He nods quietly, and she grabs his hand, pulling him to the door. "Go see him. Show him he can trust you to take care of him, protect him, and love him like no one else has. The fact that he's already allowed you to get this close is just the first step." She stops at the door and turns to face the black and red hero. He seemed thoughtful; listening to her every word. "How long have you two been together now? Almost six months? When your six month anniversary comes around, do something special for him. Something that's going to prove to him what you feel and that he can trust you."_

 _Shadow nods quietly as Rouge pushes him out through the door._

"… _I will."_

She sighs as she watches the blue hedgehog. He was trembling just enough to see, and he looked so…frustrated, upset, angry, confused… It didn't help that his energy was out of stability, and will be until he gets his dark energy back. His blue ears were flattened back against his skull, his quills were stiff and tense, his unnaturally yellow eyes were narrowed; his brows furrowed as he kicked a piece of rubble away.

They had gotten any survivors left in the mess to the castle's main hall. The two of them now stood outside the palace walls, watching soldiers walk around with grief-struck faces, and the sun slowly go down with a red haze.

Sonic sat down on a large brick, which used to be a part of a building, a home, and rested his face in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees where he hunched over. Rouge frowns and slowly steps over to him, kneeling down right in front of him. "Blue, honey…"

He looks up at her with a exhausted expression. "Don't start…" he grumbled, and she gave him a dry chuckle in return.

"Don't be like that, and keep your head up. We'll stop Mephiles, and we'll find Shadow," she says softly, poking his cheek. He frowns and waves her hand away, and she smiles. "It's almost been a whole year, you know."

Sonic blinks at her, not quite getting her statement. "A whole year?"

She raises a brow. "You and Shadow?"

He blinks again, his mouth forming a small 'o' in realization. Has it really been that long? Eleven months was coming around fast, despite the fact that Shadow's been gone for the past two… Did it still count? They were still together, so he supposed it did. A year with Shadow…he couldn't believe it.

What would they do for it? Their sixth month was absolutely wonderful; he couldn't imagine what they would do their first year…

Rouge's smile grew as she noticed a light, pink coloring fade over the fawn muzzle of her friend. She wondered what was going on in that big head of his.

"Sonic? You need a minute?" she coos, tilting her head slightly. His face darkens and he pushes her away. "N-No, shut up."

There was a hint of a smile on his lips, which was good enough for her. He sighs and stands up, dusting himself off. "Yeah, I know we'll be okay," he starts, turning to look at the castle. "I just don't feel right."

Rouge stands up and holds out her arm for him to take. He obliges, and she begins walking them to the castle doors. "That's cause he's not here with you now, and you got use to him spoiling you." He raises a brow and flattens an ear as she continues. "Which isn't a bad thing, but ooh boy is he gonna be pissed when he finds out what happened to you."

The Blue Blur sweatdrops. How the hell was he going to properly explain this to his overly-protective boyfriend?

* * *

Knuckles frowns as he helps the feline smooth out the map.

"Our world," Blaze starts, pointing as she spoke, "is made up of four different sections. Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. We right now are in the Southwest. The section Sonic, Tails, Marine, and I explored together was the Northwest. I've never been to the Eastern part of the world, so those are our best two choices...at least if we can't find anything here."

The echidna nods, turning from the table to the stack of books they pulled down. After a minute of searching, he comes across one that catches his attention. "'The Wolves of Fire?"

Blaze looks up. "That's it." She walks over to him and beckons for him to open the book. "My mother use to tell me about the wolves. They were the closest to Iblis and the Sol Emeralds."

Knuckles raises a brow. "Did they go extinct?"

The purple cat shrugs. "I have no idea. They disappeared when the Master Emerald was shattered."

Knuckles flips through the pages, and sure enough, these wolves were just like the echidnas of his tribe. They worshipped Iblis like the echidnas worshipped Chaos, and protected the sacred emerald in which he was sealed. Iblis really was this dimension's Chaos…

"Apparently," Blaze starts, "when the emerald was shattered, and Iblis was released, the island they lived in among the clouds fell into the ocean, never to be seen again. The Island used to circle the planet, from each section of the world to the next. It took a whole year for the Island to make a return to each part."

"So," Knuckles begins, "we find out the date of which the Island fell, and figure out where the Island would have been based on that date."

Blaze blinks in surprise. Was it really that simple?

"Is that how it is on your world?"

The red guardian shrugs. "I don't think so. The Island just…goes where it pleases I guess. I can control where I would want it to go, to avoid hitting mountains, or if I wanted to go lower to the ground when I need to get off." When her eyes widen in shock, he chuckles. "It takes a lot of energy and concentration, though."

"That's…rather interesting…"

He shrugs again and flips another page of the book. "It says Iblis was released during the winter months of Soleana." He looks up at Blaze. "Is there any map or scroll that shows the travel patterns of the Island?"

Blaze frowns and turns her gaze to the large desk. "If there is, this is the place it would be. My mother was really interested in it all, and this was where she studied."

"Well let's find it," Knuckles starts. "Figure out where the Island fell, and if we can't find a map, and you said you and Sonic already explored the Western part of this world, then it has to be on the Eastern part for sure. It'll just take time to find."

Blaze begins opening drawers in the desk. "I hope there's a map… It could take weeks for us to explore the other half of the world."

The door to the study opens, and in walk Sonic and Rouge. "We got everyone in the main hall," Sonic starts, walking over to Blaze who was eagerly awaiting news. His tone lowered somberly. "Unfortunately not everyone made it…"

Knuckles growls and slams his fist on the table. "That damn monster…"

Sonic flinches and Blaze's face pales, taking in the fact that lives were lost today. Innocent lives.

"We can't sit around and curse and mope," Rouge sighs, rubbing a hand over her loose bangs that had fallen in the fight. "We need to put an end to this as quickly as possible."

Sonic nods. "She's right, you guys. The sooner we stop Mephiles, the less destruction will happen."

Blaze gives a shaky nod, and Knuckles huffs, looking down at the book he dropped on the table. "Whatever…"

Sonic and Rouge exchange worried looks, before the cobalt hero speaks up again. "So, did you find anything?"

Blaze nods. "Yes, we figured out that if we find out the date the Island fell, we could find where in the world it would be."

Sonic raises a brow. "The Island circles the planet on a year-cycle?"

"Yeah," Knuckles starts, "and we found that it fell in the winter. Now we need to find out where the Island floated during that season."

Sonic hums thoughtfully. "Makes sense I guess."

The ruby guardian motions for Sonic to come over. "Sonic, apparently instead of echidnas, it was wolves on this world."

The blue hedgehog walks over, leaning over his friend's shoulder to see for himself. "I'm guessing when Iblis was released, he wiped them out like Chaos did your tribe…"

"Is there ever a happy ending?" Rouge asks, joining the pair.

"Doesn't seem so," Sonic started. "In the Moebian dimension, their tribes were wiped out by their version of Chaos, too."

Knuckles raises a brow. "How'd you know that?"

Sonic shrugs. "Scourge mentioned something about it when he was babbling about how his Master Emerald doesn't do anything for him."

Knuckles frowns, turning back to his book.

"Found it!" Blaze exclaims, and the group turns to her expectedly.

She lays out the map and begins writing something on a piece of scratch paper. "It's in the Southeast."

"Sweet," Sonic chirps. "Let's get going then."

Blaze looks up with a frown. "It's going to take a while to get there… The area is known for its whirlpools and ill waves... We'll have to take a very specific boat route…"

Sonic's face pales and he laughs lightly. "Yeah uhh…we're not taking a boat."

The feline blinks. "…Well how will we get there then?"

* * *

She had to ask.

"I knew it was a good idea to bring her here!" Sonic explains, hopping in the seat of the red biplane.

Rouge and Knuckles hop on the wings, and the former of the two motions for Blaze to sit in the seat behind Sonic.

"This…thing flies?"

Sonic chuckles nervously. "Yeah…I kind of forgot you were afraid of heights…"

Rouge gives the hedgehog a mischievous grin. "Does she know you're afraid of water?"

Knuckles laughs and Blaze looks at Sonic with interest. The hero's face reddens and he turns away, pressing the coordinates in the Tornado's GPS. "I'm not afraid of it, I just don't like drowning!"

Knuckles helps Blaze into the plane, smirking devilishly. "He's aquaphobic."

"You mean hydrophobic?"

"Same thing."

"I am not!"

* * *

Blaze swallowed nervously as she snuck a glance over the edge of the plane. It was a long way down…

Sure enough, as they flew over unknown territory, they were able to witness tons and tons of whirlpools and crashing waves, making Sonic's stomach turn and the others worry long way don snuck lightly at the sight of it. It was definitely a good idea they brought the Tornado…

The sun was gone, on the other side of the world now, as they flew farther and farther away from it. The night seemed to make Blaze all the more nervous; how could Sonic see so well to fly?

His flying was surprisingly steady, probably because of the cat's fear of heights. He seemed too relaxed about it, his eye lids drooped halfway, his nose up to smell the fresh air, and his ears tiredly to their sides. He piloted the plane with one hand holding his head up, the other on the gears.

Knuckles was watching his friend intently, wondering if it was a good idea to have Sonic flying the plane. Sure, the Master Emerald healed him up pretty good, it didn't mean the sapphire mobian was still up to shape. He was probably exhausted beyond belief, not to mention hungry and irritable.

"You want me to take over?" the guardian asks, making Sonic's ears twitch unexpectedly. The hedgehog yawns, shaking his head. "Nah…I haven't really flown it in forever. I'm fine."

Rouge smiles sleepily. "Didn't you build this yourself?"

"Meh…sort of. I built the original Tornado, but that one was destroyed in a crash after Tails and I chased the Egg Carrier. Ya know, during the whole Chaos thing…"

Knuckles nods. "So what about this one?"

Sonic shrugs. "We went back afterwards and gathered up whatever was left. We built this model together." He yawns again, rubbing his eyes.

Rouge chuckles. "You don't seem like the type to build such things, hon."

The hedgehog grins. "Wasn't hard to do…and I needed something to get me off an island I was stuck on."

"You can run on water…" Knuckles starts.

"Yeah, but I didn't know how far away mainland was, and I wasn't going to try and find out the hard way."

Rouge leans back on the wing. "How long ago was this?"

Sonic frowns, thinking. "Uh…hmm… I think when I was twelve."

The bat raises a brow. "Do you not know how old you are?"

The hedgehog laughs. "Not really, considering I don't know when my actual birthday is, and the fact that I'm immortal, or the fact that I never counted the years that went by."

Blaze blinks, startled by this statement. "You're…what?"

Sonic chuckles. "Immortal. It's a Chaos Energy thing."

Blaze, dumbfounded, doesn't say a word. Knuckles crosses his arms with a small frown. "You were at least thirteen when we met…"

Sonic shrugs. "I thought so. So that means I was fifteen when I met Tails…" He pauses, his eyes wide. "No… I'm not that old!"

"How old was Tails when you met him?" Rouge asks. Sonic almost hit his head on the gears. "He…he was only one…"

Blaze tilts her head. "How old is he now?"

"Eight," Knuckles says.

Rouge's eyes widen. "You're twenty-three?"

Knuckles shrugs. "Give or take a year or two. He could be twenty-five for all we know."

Sonic swoons. "I'm not that old…"

"On the bright side, darling," Rouge chirps, "you're stuck in a sixteen, seventeen, eighteen year old body for the rest of your life."

"And Shadow's like what, sixty years old?" Knuckles adds.

Sonic turns and glares at them. "Let's pretend we never had this conversation. I don't want to know how old I am, or how old Shadow 'technically' is."

"My head hurts," Blaze muttered, rubbing her temples.

"You're twenty-five years old," Knuckles says with a devious grin.

"See that whirlpool? You're about to get real acquainted with it."

Rouge laughs and Knuckles had to do everything in his power not to die in hysteria.

"Just think of it as how many years you've survived, hon," the former tries, hoping to appease a slowly fretting Sonic. "You're still sexy and utterly handsome, and when you're a hundred years old no one will know the difference."

"This is it. This is how it ends…"

Knuckles grins. "I'm so not going to be able to look at Shadow with a straight face, ever again."

"Knuckles. Rouge. Shut. Up."

Sonic's ears were bent back, and both hands were on the gears now. So much for enjoying the flight…

His yellow eyes caught sight of something off in the distance, and suddenly all his pain and torment was gone.

There it was.

" _Finally!"_ he exclaims, happy to get away from the two maniacs he was forced to fly with. Blaze quietly shared his enthusiasm. It was getting hard to fight the nausea…

* * *

Four, bright flashes zipped through the forest at unseen speeds, tearing through the thick terrain with ease. They had run across half of the Island so far, hoping they were getting closer to wherever the shrine of the emerald was.

They didn't have to hope for long.

The shrine looked similar to the one on Angel Island, but with oddly arched columns instead of the straight, pointed ones. The coloring was a faded grey, complete with stairs that led high up to where the emerald should be, but wasn't.

They slowly made their way up the stairs, and once at the top, their eyes focused on the empty pedestal. It was kind of sad to see…

A whoosh of air and a thud sounded in front of them, and Sonic raises a brow at the figure that now stood before them. At least this guy didn't hide like Knuckles had…or attacked them for that matter.

A red wolf stood, black glasses over his snout covering his eyes, black shoes on his feet, a black belt with all kinds of neat looking gear around his waist, tall and firm in front of him. He looked awfully young, at least thirteen.

"Who are you people?"

Sonic grins and gestures to Knuckles behind him. The ruby echidna stepped forward. "We came here to find you, because we need your help."

The wolf tilts his head. "And what makes me so special that you would come all this way to see me?"

Blaze speaks up. "You are the Guardian of the Master Emerald, are you not?"

The mobian tilts his head up slightly. "I am, but you see there is no emerald."

"We need to find it," Sonic said, grabbing the wolves attention. The red being gave the blue hero an odd look, as if trying to figure something out about him. "We need to seal Iblis back inside it, in order to save this world and ours."

"Yours?"

"There's a lot to explain," Knuckles starts, "but we need to know that you're willing to help."

The wolf was quiet for a moment, his gaze darting from each of them to one another. Finally, his eyes again rested on Sonic, and that odd look formed on his face again. With a deep breath, he nods.

"Alright."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _Yes. Yes I just did._

 _Anyways, as I said, I hope to finish this story within the next week. We're almost done. This was a short chapter, and not much happened, but next chapter is going to have some fighting, some pink Knuckles, some SA2 treasure hunting, and a pissed off Sonic._

 _Hope you're as thrilled as I am._


	10. Ten

**Ten**

"So, we restore the Master Emerald, seal Iblis inside of it, and defeat that Mephiles creature?"

Knuckles nods. "Yes, but we need to get Sonic's Dark Chaos Energy from him first."

The wolf, who just amply called himself 'Wolf', tilted his head slightly. His yellow eyes glanced to said blue hedgehog, who had remained silent during Knuckles's explanation. Wolf frowns. "That makes sense."

Sonic's brows furrow. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

Everyone blinks and Wolf smiles slightly, almost guilty. "I apologize, but the aura around you is actually distracting me. It's stronger than anything I have ever seen or felt before."

The blue hero crosses his arms. "How can you feel it if it's not your own energy?"

Wolf smiles softly. "It's a gift, I suppose. I'm more sensitive to energy than a normal being should be. I can read what people are thinking, feeling, and such just by seeing the color of their aura, or feeling their energy. Yours, however, is too strong for me to decipher."

Knuckles looks back at his friend with a shrug. "You do have really strong energy, Sonic. I guess I just got used to feeling it all the time."

The hedgehog hums thoughtfully, before waving it off. "Alright, so that's kind of cool that you can do that." He says to Wolf, who smiles at the compliment. He was just glad the wolf couldn't read his thoughts and feelings. He didn't like to be read at all, not even by Shadow.

Especially by Shadow.

"So," Blaze starts, getting everyone back on focus. "What should we do? We can't have Mephiles running around while looking for the emerald…"

"He could get in the way," Rouge adds, and everyone nods in agreement.

There was a moment of thoughtful silence, before Sonic speaks up again.

"This is what we do: Rouge, take Wolf with the Tornado and search for the Master Emerald pieces. You two together should have no problems finding it. Knuckles, Blaze, and I will go after Mephiles with the emeralds and see what we can do about him."

That sounded like a decent plan. The echidna chuckles. "For a guy who likes to rush into danger all the time, you sure are good at planning things out."

Sonic blinks, not sure whether to take that as an insult or not. Knuckles laughs lightly as his friend's reaction and nods. "Sounds like a plan, at least."

The others nod in agreement. It was their best shot.

* * *

He groaned and arched his back. He then collapsed, and coughed, sputtered, before turning his head to spit the large amount of blood from it. He choked and gurgled on the thick, crimson liquid, quickly building back up in his throat once more. It wouldn't end. No matter how much he spit, more would quickly resurface.

That's how it was for his whole body. His body kept regenerating the blood that was continuously leaking from his inside all over. The backs of his knees, his stomach, his back, the slice down his throat. Any and all main spots in his body Mephiles had cut, slashed, and stabbed. He was immortal, so blood loss would not kill him.

His body was having a hard time healing himself. There was too much blood, making him like a never-ending fountain, pooling on the ground beneath him. He coughed and sputtered, cursing himself for being so weak.

"… _and after I'm done with that world, I'll come back for him. Oh, what a loyal, docile pet he was. Never wanted to hurt or go against his mate, his protector. Love…love is such a deadly weapon, Shadow. Even if I am defeated, he'll never find you. He'll search and search and search and search but never know where you are. His little heart will just break and break even more…that is…until I come back. He won't even know it's me. He'll think it's you. Hahaha…how much fun I'll get to have with him. He'll be so happy, so excited, he won't think twice."_

" _D-Don't…you dare…"_

" _And what will you do, may I ask? Nothing. So called Ultimate Lifeform. You will rot here forever in eternity while I'm out there taking what's mine."_

" _DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!"_

" _But I already have, and I have already won."_

" _You…"_

" _Hahaha…how pitiful you are." He leaned down and touched noses with the other, grinning devilishly. "Do you know how many times I've already pinned that beautiful creature down and ripped him apart? How many times I've fucked and tortured him till he's cried? How loud I've made him scream and beg, cry and whimper beneath me? You're too late for threats, my shadow."_

" _I'll kill you… That is not a threat. It's a promise."_

" _Hmm…funny... I find that hard to believe, considering you have a hard time keeping your 'promises'…"_

 _He stands straight, leaning back, and speaks in a voice exactly like Shadow's. "'I'll protect you, Sonic. Nothing will ever hurt you again…'"_

" _Shut the fuck up!"_

 _Mephiles laughs, stepping over his prey with all the evil intent in the world._

Shadow closes his eyes, squeezing them shut tight. He did break his promise to Sonic. The blue hedgehog had always complained about him working with G.U.N. to begin with…

" _After everything Towers has done, I can't believe you still take orders from him…"_

 _Shadow ran a hand along the side of Sonic's muzzle. "I have my reasons, love."_

 _Sonic's eyes narrow sharply. "No reason should be good enough. He's evil."_

 _The dark hedgehog raises a brow. "And is Dr. Eggman not?"_

 _Hurt seemed to strike in those emerald irises, and he yanks himself away from his mate. "Kintobor never had a choice! Towers chooses to do the things he does!"_

 _Sonic whipped away with a stomp of his feet, storming out of the house hurt and offended._

He wondered why he never listened to Sonic.

" _You're leaving again?"_

 _Shadow sighs and looks up at the blue hero. "I'll be back in a few days. Can't you wait?"_

 _Sonic glares at him. "But you just got back from your last mission… Can't you stay a few more days at least?"_

 _Shadow throws his bag on and reaches for the cobalt mobian. Sonic pulls back, knowing what the answer was going to be. "Just go, then…" he muttered, turning and stomping up the steps._

 _Shadow stood and watched with dejection._

Sonic was always trying to convince Shadow not to go.

" _Did you want to help me and Tails at Egghead's base?"_

" _You know I'm leaving in an hour."_

 _Sonic shrugged and straddled the dark hero's lap where he sat at the kitchen table. "So? Just call off and say you have other things to deal with."_

 _Shadow frowned, letting his hands slide down the blue hips of his mate with a sigh. "Sonic, I can't just back down at the last second…"_

"… _but I need your help on this one!" Sonic exclaims excitedly. "There's a Chaos Emerald there, and apparently he's building a new robot that can change its shape. The base is also surrounded by water, so I could really use your help…"_

 _The mention of water made Shadow falter, knowing his love was most likely running into a trap…but…_

" _S-Sonic… Can't you go another day?"_

 _The hedgehog above him frowns and slumps down. "N-No… We just found out about this, and who knows what's gonna happen if we leave it be."_

" _I…" Shadow starts, and then goes quiet._

 _Sonic looks down. "I-I see…"_

 _The darker hedgehog watches as his boyfriend pulls away from him, turning around. "H-Have f-fun I guess…" He murmurs, walking out of the kitchen. Shadow watched as Sonic rubbed his eyes, his heart swelling._

It was because he was so intent on going on his missions he was captured by Mephiles. It was because of him Sonic was hurt in the process. It was because of him that he was stuck here, while God knows what was happening out there, right now.

" _I'm sorry Sonic…"_

He needed to get out of here. He needed to find Sonic and make it right. With a groan and cough, he slowly, carefully, reaches over to his side, trying to roll over. Pain was shooting through him in waves, and with another cough and spit, he makes it to his stomach.

" _Sonic…"_

He nearly whimpers there on the floor; helpless, exhausted, and in pain. He growls to himself, trying desperately to feel beneath himself, the palms of his torn-gloved hands feeling the cold, rocky floor for support.

"Agnn…" he huffs, blinking his eyes a few times, before opening them wide and squeezing them shut. "Hgnnn…" he pushes himself up with shaky, aching limbs, shuddering violently as his body screamed against him.

" _I need to get out of here… I need to save Sonic…"_

An explosion shook the building he was trapped in, the bang shaking the whole room and making him gasp and collapse on his face. Pieces of rock and concrete fell from the walls and ceiling, small chunks smashing against the ground. He groaned as his ears began to ring, and turned his head to face the supposed entrance to this room. It tore down like a wrecking ball had hit it, and he watched with hazy, half-lidded rubies as a large mech stormed its way inside.

"Shadow!" the sound of a child hit his ears, and they twitch with recognition. Tails. He watched both the yellow fox and a pink hedgehog run towards him, sliding down to his side to try and lift him up.

"Oh my gosh…!"

"Come on we gotta get him out of here!"

The sound of more footsteps, these ones heavier, approached them at a quick pace. Shadow's vision was hazy and blurry, and he could just make out the shape of a large human bending down to pick him up. "Move out of the way. We need to get him back to the base and healed up, then contact Sonic as soon as possible."

"S….S-Son…" Shadow starts, his words a muffled murmur as he was lifted up in Eggman's arms.

"Sonic is okay, Shadow, at least as of now. We'll get you taken care of so you can get to him."

That was okay. Sonic was okay. Everything was going to be okay.

…and after he found Sonic and hugged and kissed him to death, he was going to kill Mephiles in the most excruciating way possible.

* * *

They watched the Tornado fly off into the distance. Sonic had made Rouge cross her heart that she would take care of his plane, acting like a stern mother who was letting her child go out into the real world for the first time. Rouge had laughed and promised to take care of his 'baby,' before she and Wolf got on and took off.

Now the three mobians left behind frowned as they thought of their next move.

Knuckles turned to Sonic, opening his mouth to ask a question the hero had been expecting the whole time.

"Yes," Sonic cuts him off before he can even get the first syllable out. "You're going Super."

Blaze raises a curious brow. "You have a Super form?"

Knuckles nods. "I only use it when I absolutely have to, since last time I went Super I had a bad side effect."

"He means he almost died," Sonic explains, glaring at his best friend with more worry than anger. "He lost too much energy, so I haven't let him go Super for a long time."

The red echidna holds his hands up in defense. "I was being careless, Sonic. Not everyone gets a boost of energy like you do when they come down from a Super form. Shadow certainly didn't…"

A smack to the back of the echidna's head caused a loud yelp to sound across the beach of the large island. Knuckles rubs his head with a pout, feeling his face redden in embarrassment. Blaze giggled and Sonic gave the guardian a look that said, 'If you ever talk about that again, it'll be a lot worse.'

"Let's just do this and get it over with," the hedgehog mutters. "And be _careful_!"

"That sounds funny coming from you-Ah! OW!"

* * *

Three bright flashes flew across the sky, Super Sonic at the front of them. Finding Mephiles wasn't going to be too hard, considering he was using Sonic's Dark Energy. All they had to do was track that energy and they would find that monster.

It didn't take them long.

They landed in a large field, that seemed to stretch for miles until it hit forests. Mephiles stood, his arms crossed, seemingly waiting for them.

"Took you long enough…"

Sonic's red eyes narrowed as he stood from a crouch, Super Knuckles and Burning Blaze standing ready behind him. They weren't going to take any risks here. Mephiles was to be defeated. The only issue they needed to worry about, was keeping him away from Blaze, and Iblis.

"You missed me?" Sonic asked, but there was no joke in his tone. Mephiles smirked. "Always, beautiful."

"Tch!" Sonic didn't waste anymore time talking to this creep, and shot forward in a blazing bullet. He reared his fist back, ready to strike the demon in the chest, but found himself hitting air instead. Mephiles reappeared from behind him, slamming his foot into the golden hero's head, knocking him down to the ground.

He fell for the trap, however, and before he could even make his move, Knuckles was upon him, striking him in the jaw with an uppercut, sending the dark hedgehog up into the air. Blaze was ready for him, and shot him back down with a large ball of flames and crackling Sol Energy.

Sonic had gotten up, and just before Mephiles hit the ground he kicked, hard and fast, sending him across the field before taking off after him.

"Aghn!" Mephiles skid across the ground, leaving a large trail befitting a tornado. He couldn't believe he allowed himself to be fooled so easily. It wasn't going to happen again.

The sonic boom was the only warning he got, before the hero himself was charging into him, grabbing him by the chest fur and rolling themselves over, slamming him into the earth with a crash and explosion of dirt. Mephiles growled loudly, grabbing Sonic's forearms before he could dodge away, and lifted his legs up. Sonic yelped loudly as the demon kicked him, straight in the stomach and up into the air. Mephiles got up and went to go after his prey, but was grabbed by Knuckles as he flew by, and thrown across the field again like a kick ball.

This time he landed on his feet, skidding to a halt and dashing back before anyone could blink. He slammed his fist into Knuckles's jaw, before he lifted his leg up to crush the pink guardian's side to send him to the ground. He turned around, whipping his leg out to kick Sonic just as he landed behind him. Sonic held his arms up, blocking the attack, then another, then another, until Blaze came up from behind the dark hedgehog and slammed into him, foot first, square in the back.

"…!" he gasped as he hit the ground, his face eating dirt and his nose breaking.

The three against one thing needed to be taken care of, and taken care of right this second.

He growls and mutters the words, 'Chaos Control' under his breath, disappearing in a dark purple flash. Sonic helps Knuckles to his feet, and the three of them tense up.

"Ah?!" Dark, purple, shadowy vines shot out of the ground, grabbing Sonic's arms and pulling him backwards. He fell on his back, feeling the vines wrap around his legs and then his throat, choking and restraining him.

"Sonic!" Knuckles calls, running over to help his friend. He didn't get a chance, however, before Mephiles reappeared and tackled him from out of nowhere. The two went flying, into a nearby cluster of trees, knocking them down as the ground exploded from the impact. Blaze took on the task of trying to free Sonic, trying to burn the vines without hurting him. They wrapped around his thighs, his hips, tightened around his neck and pulled on his arms. "Hold on, Sonic!"

He coughed, unable to say a word as his windpipe was crushed. He heard another explosion in the distance and immediately worried about Knuckles.

"Kn-Knuc-!" he coughed, and Blaze looked up as Mephiles began walking out of the smoke and dirt, the echidna nowhere to be seen. "Dammit!" She hisses, grabbing and clawing at the vines on Sonic in panic now. "A blast, Sonic! Do a blast!"

The moment she had said it was when he thought of it. "G-Get back!"

She did as she was told, and watched as a bright red aura built up around the golden fur of her friend, and just as Mephiles was within range, he let it out with a loud yell.

" _Chaos…BLAST!"_

She ducked, raising her hands above her head to shield herself. The red blast spread out across the field, scorching grass and leaving a deep crater behind. She just hoped he didn't completely drain himself…

When it all cleared out, she looked up to see Super Sonic sitting in a crouch, panting heavily and holding his chest. Mephiles was gone, nowhere to be seen, but Knuckles, still bright pink, was limping over holding his arm.

"Damn…" Knuckles coughed, smirking at his friend. "That was quite a boom…"

Sonic groans and pushes himself to his shaky legs. "You…ah….you okay?" he pants.

The echidna looks down at himself. "Heh…yeah… Bastard broke my arm."

Sonic and Blaze walk over, Sonic grabbing his friend's arm and focusing energy into it. "Well…ah…he broke my leg so…hahnn…we're even…"

"Are you okay?" Blaze asks. Super Sonic gives a shaky nod. "Y-Yeah…"

He pauses as he focuses on Knuckles's broken appendage. "Sh-Shadow always says…to not use Chaos Blast too much…hn…cause it drains you like hell…haha…"

The guardian chuckles. "You've done it twice already…"

Burning Blaze turns, surveying the area around them. "Where did he go?"

Sonic and Knuckles both look up; Sonic's breathing a bit better, the echidna's arm no longer broken.

Where _did_ Mephiles go?

"He must not like it when you do that…" Knuckles starts, giving his friend a nudge. Sonic frowns, his ears twitching as he listened. "He's still here…"

Then the ground beneath them exploded.

* * *

Tails stares at the black and red hedgehog, laying in the capsule beside him. The machine was hooked up by wires that connected to a fake set of Chaos Emeralds. It was all they had, and all they could give. It seemed to be working, however, and he watched in slight awe as Shadow's body slowly but surely healed itself.

The door behind him opens and he turns to meet the doctor, pointing at the capsule with a small smile. "He's getting better."

Eggman hums. "I see that. It should take at least another hour, maybe two, for him to be ready to go."

Tails tilts his head. "How is he gonna get to Sonic?"

The doctor checks the vitals on the monitor, mentally noting that they were stable. "He'll have to use a fake set of emeralds I have ready for him. If Sonic could do it, he can as well."

Tails nods, looking back at the slumbering hedgehog with a sad smile. "Sonic's going to be so happy…"

Eggman doesn't say a word, turning to leave the room. Tails blinks, turning in his seat to watch the doctor stop at the door.

"Uh… Eggman… Thank you…"

The human turns and raises a brow. "Hmm?"

The fox looks down, his ears flattening slightly. "I mean, what you did…for Sonic. I might not know the real reason for you protecting him but…I greatly appreciate it, so thank you."

Eggman stares at him for a moment, before turning his back once again and leaving the room. Tails sighs, watching as Amy walks in passed the human, walking over with a cup of tea in her hands.

She stands beside the yellow fox as he turns and faces Shadow's capsule again, taking a small sip of her cup.

"You know," she starts softly, catching Tails's attention. "I'm actually happy that Sonic and Shadow are together."

The fox blinks in surprise, and she continues. "They're both immortal, so that means they'll never have to be alone. Sonic can protect the world, while Shadow can protect him." She sighs and looks up, closing her eyes. "Sonic needs someone like that. He's never had anyone like that before…at least as far as I know. Someone to take care of him the way he takes care of this world… Shadow…"

She smiles and looks back down at the sleeping hedgehog, giggling quietly. "I feel so childish for chasing Sonic so much. I hardly knew what love was. Then one day I saw them together, after we finished a battle with Eggman, and Shadow was checking Sonic everywhere for any kind of injury. He was so paranoid and he was actually annoying Sonic. It was so funny to see Shadow freak out so much…but I realized then that Shadow really, truly cared for and loved Sonic."

Tails smiles softly. "To be honest, I was skeptical at first too, but Sonic has been really happy since he and Shadow got together."

Amy nods in agreement. "They're made for each other. Sonic needs someone to protect him, and Shadow needs someone to protect."

The two were quiet, content with this conclusion.

It looked like the only thing they needed to worry about now, was making sure Sonic got home safely.

* * *

The golden hedgehog huffed as he landed, his hand wiping the sweat from his brow in a quick, swift motion of his arm. He hadn't realized before just how strong his dark energy was, but now that he was fighting it, he realized it was an actual problem. Mephiles hardly knew how to control it, he could see, just by his clumsiness in their fight. He wasn't used to using Chaos Energy, in fact, this was the first time the demon was actually using it. It didn't mean he wouldn't get better with it, Sonic had to remind himself. He just had to take Mephiles down before he figured it all out.

He was just glad the demon hadn't gone after Blaze yet.

If Mephiles reunites with Iblis, they would be screwed. He would be powered by Sonic's energy, as well as the power of 'Solaris' combined.

Watching Mephiles ready himself for his next attack, Sonic kneels down in a crouch and prepares himself. It only took another second before Mephiles was charging at him, giving him only that second to dodge out of the way. Unfortunately for Mephiles, Knuckles had been ready behind Sonic, fist raised. Mephiles was unable to avoid the hit, sending him flying backwards right into Blaze's spin and kick.

Sonic then jumped forward, slamming head first into the demon's stomach, tackling him down into the ground and across the field. They stop when they hit some trees, hitting Mephiles's head on one of them particularly hard. A sickening crack sounded, and the demon groaned, while Sonic stood back and stomped his foot down, hard and fast, into the darker being's chest.

"..!" he coughed and reached up to grab Super Sonic's leg, barely scratching his ankle. He digs his claws into the golden fur and flesh underneath, causing Sonic to yelp and try to pull his leg back. This caused Sonic to fall backwards, Mephiles still hanging onto him, on his back, sitting on the darker creature's legs as his head hit the ground.

Mephiles sat up, reaching over to grab Sonic by his hips and pull him up and against him, chuckling darkly. Sonic's red eyes shrunk, and he began wailing punches at the demon, striking him once in the jaw, in the temple, then in the forehead. He knocks him back just enough to loosen the hold on himself, and with his palms outstretch, he lets his Chaos Energy fill his hands.

"Chaos…Spear!"

"Agh!" Mephiles went flying back, landing on his face in the dirt and rocks. Sonic puffed out a harsh breath of air, standing quickly to his feet and dusting himself off. He heard the sound of someone approaching behind him, and didn't even turn to look as Knuckles flew passed and attacked Mephiles.

He reared his leg back and kicked the demon, sending him rolling away down the hill they were atop of. A low growl was heard from the echidna as he took off again, not exactly happy with the demon's hands all over his friend.

"You-!" he starts, grabbing Mephiles by the throat and shaking him violently. "Don't-!"

He throws him downwards, straight into the ground. "Touch-!" He brings his knee up and kicks him in the face, sending his head backwards to collapse on the ground. "Him!"

Mephiles coughs and spits the blood from his mouth, panting heavily. This was going to end, and it was going to end _now_.

Before Knuckles could even blink, he found himself being grabbed by the throat himself, his eyes widening as Mephiles sneered down at him. "Foolish pest…"

He flies up a few feet, before he charges straight at the ground.

Instead of simply colliding with it, he went through it, straight down, using Knuckles's back as a shield. The guardian's eyes widen, as Mephiles pushed them deeper and deeper into the earth like a drill.

"Knuckles!" Sonic exclaims, rushing forward where the two had disappeared into the ground. Before he could make it, Mephiles was in front of him, grabbing his forearms and lifting him off the ground. He shoots forward like a bullet with Sonic in tow, leading him across the field in a matter of seconds. Sonic looks down with wide eyes. The ocean?

He didn't even get a chance to comprehend it before he was being thrown into the cold, salty liquid with a huge splash.

Blaze's eyes widen as she watches Mephiles approach, getting ready to fight. Like hell if she would give up Iblis with any ease. Her eyes narrow and she raises her fists, preparing herself for the worst. Mephiles charges, and she does as well, the two speeding towards each other quickly and dangerously.

Before Mephiles can strike with his fist, she ducks down and sweeps his feet from beneath him. She swings out her other leg, knocking in the side of the head, sending him crashing down to his side.

* * *

If it wasn't for the invulnerability of his super form, he would have drowned already. He yanks and pulls on the vines holding him to the ocean floor, his heart racing in his chest. He had to get back. He had to get out of there!

The ocean seemed to pull and tug on his form, swaying him where he stood, trying to pull out of the vines wrapped around his ankles and wrists. One large vine had wrapped itself around his throat, threatening to pull him backwards into the bed of sand below.

Water…

Why did it have to be water?

He could hardly see a thing, his golden glow the only light source in this dark abyss. He was losing energy, and losing it quickly. Within a matter of time he would be out, and he would drown.

Fear clouding his senses, he yanks and cries out against the vines, cursing Mephiles and cursing his luck. He thought about Knuckles, buried in the ground below, and Blaze, most likely suffering in the hands of Mephiles.

He couldn't take it. He was going to lose it.

With a scream he releases a blast of Chaos Energy, disintegrating the vines into nothing but mist. He shoots up out of the water, collapsing on the beach with wide, frightened eyes. He closes them, squeezing them tight shut, before opening them up and staring at the ground.

He could have sworn he saw red spirals.

He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly again, before opening them and focusing hard. His eyes were normal, his energy was stabilizing.

That…had been way too close.

Panting heavily, he leans his head down on the sand and lays there, trying to gather his thoughts. Water sizzled off of his golden pelt, sparkling in the setting sun like millions of tiny stars off his body. He swallowed and let out a deep breath of air, trying to clear the fear that had rose within him at the feel of being trapped under the ocean…

"Ugh…" he groans, shaking his head again in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on some kind of way to stop Mephiles. He needed a way to get his energy back…

" _You actually saved me you know…"_

" _So it was the Chaos Emerald wasn't it? But, there's no way you could have activated the Chaos Control, using an emerald that's fake…"_

He struggles to push himself up to his feet.

" _I think I understand now, what the Ultimate Lifeform is. Sonic, I think it's you."_

He leans his head back, standing shakily. He takes in a deep breath of air, opening his eyes to stare at the red sky.

" _I don't understand you, hedgehog. The things you can do, should be impossible to anyone, including myself. What even are you?"_

"… _I don't know, Shadow, but…does it really matter? I'm more than grateful for it, isn't that enough?"_

"…"

He looks down and closes his eyes.

" _I…want to thank you."_

" _Hmm?"_

" _No matter how many times I've pushed you away, fought you, hurt you, you always come back."_

"… _Shadow?"_

" _At first, I despised you, and I think it's because I couldn't handle the fact that you are exactly like her. You're unbelievably selfless, despite everything that's happened to you, despite all the people that have hurt you. You go above and beyond to give this world freedom and happiness, yet you expect nothing in return."_

"… _I…"_

" _You're kindness and heart are exactly like hers, maybe even more. I don't think I was able to handle the fact that there was something out there just as good as Maria. She would have loved you to death."_

" _Shadow…"_

" _So, I want to thank you for everything you have done for me, for this world, and I want to apologize for the way I have treated you, or the hell you had to go through because of me."_

He smiles softly to himself. He wanted nothing more than to see Shadow again.

He had to stop Mephiles, he had to win this. If not for himself or this world, then for Shadow.

* * *

Knuckles coughs up the dirt that had built up in his mouth as he pops his head out of the hole he had been dug into. He gasps for air and relishes in it, closing his eyes and letting out a victorious sigh.

A loud explosion brought his head up, and he looks up with wide red eyes as Mephiles throws Blaze into the ground, dirt bursting up and around them.

The demon leans down above her, holding out his hand and placing it on her forehead. "Such an unworthy barer of such powerful energy…"

She lets out a scream as she felt her energy being ripped from her, flames bursting around her form and swirling up Mephiles's arm. Knuckles growled.

That was it. He had enough of this.

Climbing out of the hole, he stomps his way over to the demon, cracking his namesakes in each of his fists with a scowl. "Alright you bastard…" he growls.

Mephiles turns his head and raises a brow at the echidna who dared challenge him.

Neither of them could make a move, however, before Sonic flew out of nowhere and slammed into Mephiles.

Knuckles ran over to Blaze to see if she was okay. Her super form was gone, and she lay there panting and wheezing. He carefully lifts her up, and she clings onto him as if he would keep her from drowning.

"I'm…ah…okay…" she pants.

Sonic grins almost deviously, as he leans down and grabs Mephiles by the neck, lifting him up off the ground. **"The servers are** _ **my**_ **seven Chaos…"**

Mephiles's eyes widen.

Knuckles and Blaze turn their heads, watching with wide eyes as a blue glow formed around Sonic's golden form.

" **Chaos is power, power enriched by** _ **my**_ **heart…"**

Knuckles tilts his head. "He's saying…"

Mephiles begins to struggle, kicking and flailing his legs. "No, you fool!"

" **The controller is the one that unifies** _ **my**_ **Chaos…"**

A bright flash of gold and blue burst from the hedgehog, wrapping around Mephiles and causing him to scream. The blast of energy spread across the field, but instead of destroying it, it seemed to heal it, grass growing tall and fresh around them.

Knuckles and Blaze held their hands up above their eyes, the flash too bright for their eyes to handle. After a few, long seconds, the flash died down, and the two look up and gape in shock.

Mephiles lay on the ground, coughing and sputtering, choking it seemed, spitting out a dark, thick, purple liquid onto the ground.

Super Sonic was no longer his bright, golden color, but a dark navy blue, cobalt Chaos Energy swirling around him.

"Dark Sonic," Knuckles states, actually happy to see the form. Sonic got his energy back.

The now dark Super Sonic lets out a relieved laugh, his voice and tone deeper and huskier than his normal voice. His quills were sharper and more pointed, his back quills were up, his fangs had grown a tad and his smile looked menacing.

Yet they all knew better.

He opened his eyes to reveal bright, blue irises, which slowly faded into a deep emerald green. He laughs again, holding his hands up, letting the more than welcomed Chaos Energy flurry around himself, swirling and curving about him like flames to their master.

"Ah…" he pants with a smile. "This…feels good."

His eyes fall on Mephiles, who seemed to be dissolving into the ground in a murky, thick pile of…whatever that was. "Haha…" he leans down, poking the side of the demon's head. "You're melting…"

Mephiles snarls and glares at the dark blue hedgehog. "You think this is over?"

Dark Sonic grins devilishly, tilting his head and bouncing his ears innocently. "Of course."

The demon growls. "You fool…"

He disappears, melting away into the ground and into nothing.

* * *

Rouge lets out a relieved sigh. _"So all we have to do is collect the rest of the emerald pieces?"_

Sonic nods, looking down into his communicator with a soft smile. "Yeah, and then seal Iblis inside the emerald."

She smiles. _"Good job, blue. You guys did great."_

Sonic chuckles and hangs up the call, turning to face Knuckles, who sat on a bench in the living room area of the upper part of the castle. The echidna smiles and raises his fist, and Sonic bumps it back with his own and a grin. "Easier done than said?"

"Heh, don't get ahead of yourself," the echidna laughs.

The door to the room opens, and Blaze walks in, freshly groomed and wearing a new set of clothes. She smiles at the two in the room, tilting her head to the side in question. "Did you talk with the others?"

Sonic nods. "Yup, just hung up."

She walks over to a chair and sits down, sighing. "It's going to take some time to rebuild…"

The hedgehog shrugs. "It could be a lot worse."

She gives him a small smile. "It could be, I know."

Knuckles leans back. "So…what now?"

Sonic shrugs again. "We wait for them to find the emerald pieces I guess. I… I do want to look for Shadow…"

The two give him a sympathetic look. "I'll help," Knuckles says, standing up. Sonic smiles at the gesture, thankful for his friend's help.

Blaze frowns lightly. "I need to stay and get everything in order."

Sonic gives her a thumbs up. "That's okay. You should be fine, anyway, since Mephiles is gone."

She smiles in return. "I figured so."

Both hedgehog and echidna turn to leave, Sonic stretching his arms above his head. "Man, we sure were lucky, huh?"

Knuckles rolls his eyes. "It was nothing we couldn't handle."

Sonic grins as they walk down the hallway. "A little cocky there, bud?"

"Coming from you? Funny." He pauses as they turn a corner, looking back as he watched Blaze walk out of the room and head down the opposite end of the corridor. "You really think Mephiles is gone?"

Sonic shrugs. "Well, yeah. If not, what's he gonna do?"

"I guess… It just feels too easy, like somethin—"

He was cut off as Sonic lets out a groan and falls face first onto the floor.

"Sonic?!"

He kneels down and feels him over, rolling him onto his back. "Sonic?"

The hedgehog was out cold.

A quiet sigh left the echidna, as he reaches down and scoops him up into his arms.

"Looks like exhaustion finally caught up with you, Sonic…"

He carries the blue hero back down where they had walked from, seeing Blaze standing, talking with someone. "Blaze!"

She looks over and her eyes widen.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _I bet you just want me to reunite Sonic and Shadow already, lol_


	11. Eleven

**Eleven**

 _Rouge laughs lightly. "So how was mating season?"_

 _Shadow glares at her as he sits down at the bar counter. "It was hell. Not funny at all."_

 _The white bat grins as she leans forward. "You did know about it, right?"_

 _The hedgehog sighs and nods. "Yes, I knew about it. Doesn't mean it was any easier on myself or Sonic."_

" _Poor blue… Did he handle it okay?"_

 _Shadow sighs and taps his fingers on the counter. "He's…going to be down for about a week. He could never get any proper sleep during the whole ordeal."_

 _She gives him a sympathetic smile. "And did you?"_

" _I did until he woke me up."_

 _She laughs again, shaking her head, defeated. "It must have been something. You should at least be happy it only lasts a month or two."_

 _He sighs again and rests his head down. "It felt like a year…"_

 _The whole experience had been hell. After their first time together, it kicked off their mating season with a bang. Shadow couldn't even touch Sonic without the blue hedgehog collapsing against him, mewling and crying and pleading and begging…_

 _It came down to, Sonic wasn't aloud to leave the bed. At all. Anytime Shadow would get up and leave, Sonic would follow like a lost puppy dog, whining and whimpering the whole time. It affected Sonic far worse than Shadow had originally thought. Despite their first time being heaven, afterwards was a total mess._

 _He remembered the one morning he woke up, and Sonic was straddling his waist, face flushed red, his ears flattened guiltily against his head, his breath coming in pants, and his fur coated in sweat._

 _That…had been a very interesting wake up call._

… _and despite how much he loved driving that blue body into the bed sheets, how much he loved making him cry out in pure bliss, how much he loved making him claw and kick and writhe until he was screaming for more, it grew very tiring. Sonic's body could only handle so much, Shadow could only stay awake for so long, but…Sonic could only go so long before he really, truly, needed it, before the pain would settle in, or his Chaos Energy would do a million flips in a split second, driving him crazy for his mate's affection._

 _Rouge smirks as she watches Shadow sit up, rubbing his tired eyes. One, whole, month of hell._

" _How is he now?" she asks, tilting her head to one side._

 _Shadow shrugs as he stands up. "Fine, at least, as fine as he can be at the moment. He's been sleeping for days in a row now, hardly waking up enough for me to feed him."_

 _She smiles softly. "At least you're taking care of him."_

 _His ears flick in recognition, but he doesn't say a word to her as he turns to leave. She watches him open the front door, walking out as if he hadn't even heard her._

* * *

She sighs as she runs a hand through her messy bangs. She could _not_ wait to get home, shower, and change into some comfortable pajamas…

Wolf gives her an almost worried look. "You okay?"

Rouge smiles and shrugs. "Yeah, just frustrated is all. I'm glad they took care of Mephiles, but I'm tired, I feel gross, and I'm worried as hell about Shadow."

The red mobian tilts his head. "I've heard you all talk about him quite a bit… Who is he?"

The bat smiles again, watching the sky slowly change its colors as they flew high in the plane. "Well, he's like a little brother to me, to be honest, but he's Sonic's mate."

The wolf raises a brow. "I'm guessing Mephiles kidnapped him?"

Rouge nods. "Yes. He captured him and hid him somewhere, while he disguised himself as Shadow to trick Sonic into eventually giving up his Dark Chaos Energy. We haven't seen Shadow in almost two months now…"

Wolf frowns. "That has to be nerve wracking, especially for Sonic."

She nods again. "It is, and I'm surprised Sonic has been able to hold himself so well. Then again, he's the strongest person I know."

Wolf leans back in his seat, playing with the frame of his glasses in his hands that he took off a bit ago. "Sonic does have a very strong aura, and not just his Chaos Energy."

Rouge glances back at him with a curious look. "You really know your shit, don't you?"

Wolf smiles. "I've had plenty of time to go over it."

She frowns as she looks back in front of her. "Have you been there all by yourself this whole time?"

He shakes his head. "Nope. My mother and grandmother lived with me for the longest time, but when my mother went missing, my grandmother grew ill and eventually passed."

"…Sounds a bit like Knuckles, except it was only his father."

He looks up, putting his glasses back on. "Our worlds have similar fates with each other. If you hadn't realized it by now, Blaze is actually the 'counterpart' of Sonic."

Rouge blinks, looking back at the wolf with a raised brow. "So…she's like the alternate dimension version of Sonic?"

He nods. "Yes, and I am Knuckles."

"Hmm…" Rouge turns away, frowning, tapping her fingers on the gears. That was rather interesting. "So, basically, this world, this dimension, is like Moebius, or the No Zone, and so on?"

He nods again. "Yes, but a bit more complex on its own, considering our ways are different than yours. Blaze never lost her parents, and grew up as a princess and the protector of the Sol Emeralds."

Rouge blinks with wide eyes. "How did you know Sonic lost his parents?"

The wolf shrugs. "As I said, I can read people fairly well. I said Sonic was hard to read, I never said I couldn't do it at all."

"So…you can basically know anything you want to about a person just by using your energy?" Sounded unbelievable to her.

"Yes," he states simply, "It's a gift, as I said before. For example; you care for Knuckles more than you would allow him to see."

Her mouth opens as if to argue, but then she snaps it shut. "Don't you ever say anything to him like that," she huffs.

He grins. "That's okay. Knuckles feels the same about you."

She blinks again, her heart leaping in her chest. "Why…do I feel like you're just messing with me?"

He shrugs. "Believe what you want to believe."

She sighs. "Touché."

"Land down there, the last emerald piece is on that island."

She blinks and looks down. The island below them was small and filled with trees. "Where am I supposed to land without hurting Sonic's precious plane?"

They both frown as they survey the area below. "The beach should be fine," Wolf states, pointing to said area. She nods.

"It's gonna be tight, but it's better than nothing."

* * *

Knuckles frowned as he watched Sonic roll over in his sleep, groaning the same word he had been all night.

" _Shadow…"_

He sighs, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He could feel the stress in Sonic's energy radiating off of him in waves. He wondered how Sonic would act once he saw Shadow again. Hell, he wondered how pissed off Shadow was going to be once he saw Sonic again. He had to know what Mephiles did to him.

"Nnn…nooo…"

The echidna perks up and blinks, watching Sonic's brows furrow, his ears pin back against his head. He could see sweat forming on his forehead, and he tossed again, turning to lay on his other side, facing the wall away from the guardian. His quills rose for a moment, before they flatten suspiciously low. "N-Nooo..morrrre…"

Nightmare. With a worried frown, Knuckles stands up and leans over his friend, shaking him lightly. "Sonic? Sonic wake up," he said in a soft but firm voice.

Sonic whined in his sleep, but did not wake up. Knuckles rolled him over to his back, shaking him a bit harder. "Sonic! Wake up!"

"Nnn?!" Sonic blinked rapidly, shaking himself as he turned his head from side to side. The ruby guardian leans back, giving the sapphire some room to get back on the reality trail. "Sonic? You okay?"

The blue hedgehog blinks again, rubbing his eyes, sitting up now. He gives the guardian a sleepy glare, but nods anyway. "Mmfine."

The echidna chuckles and sits down on the side of the bed. "You wanna talk about it?"

The hero shakes his head. "Nno…I wanna find him…"

'Him' didn't have to be specified. The ruby male sighs. "I know you do, bud, and we will, but you just blacked out, out of nowhere."

Sonic huffed, as if offended by that irritating, but true statement. "How long have I been out?"

"About six hours, give or take a minute or two."

Green eyes widened to saucers. "Why'd you let me sleep so long? We need to go find Shadow!"

Knuckles watches as his friend throws off the tangled sheets, nearly falling off the bed as he rolled over to the floor. He bends down and grabs his shoes, sliding them on and grabbing his gloves off the nightstand. The older male sweatdrops. "Calm down…"

* * *

"Baka…" Sonic curses under his breath, as he trips over a piece of rubble concrete. Knuckles raises a brow at his friend.

"You sure you're okay?"

Sonic glares at him. "I…just want to find Shadow is all. What if he's hurt or something?"

Knuckles shrugs. "I'm sure he's okay, Sonic. Have a little faith…"

Sonic stops in his tracks, skidding in place as he turns to his friend, his eyes narrowed, jabbing a finger at his chest. "'Okay?' The guy that kidnapped him is the same guy who shot a Chaos Blade through my chest with no remorse."

The guardian seems to flinch at the memory. "I don't think he would have killed Shadow. He would have wanted him to suffer, not go peacefully."

" _KNUCKLES!"_

A loud smack and cry of pain followed, the echidna's words obviously not helping cool Sonic's anxiety. The red mobian rubs his now swollen cheek, tears in the corners of his eyes. "Sorry…"

Sonic huffs, his cheeks puffing as he stormed away. "Just shut up and don't say anything. You're not helping."

With a sigh, Knuckles follows, noting to himself to not _ever_ say anything ill towards Shadow _ever_ again.

* * *

 _He watches with half-lidded, almost sad eyes, as the black and red hedgehog continues to pack the bag up to its fullest. Why did he even fight it anymore? Shadow was going whether he wanted him to or not. His opinion or feelings didn't seem to matter when it came to what Shadow wanted to do. Said biohog looks up then, his ruby eyes falling on his mate, laying half on his stomach, half on his side, one fawn arm thrown carelessly over the arm of the couch, the other arm being used as a pillow for the hero's chin. Sonic was watching him, his ears, quills, and tail drooped, his eyes nearly closed, and his cheeks red. He looked like a child on the verge of tears. Hell, he probably was, considering here again Shadow was leaving him, with seemingly no remorse whatsoever._

 _The week before the last Shadow had left knowing Sonic was going to run head first into one of Dr. Eggman's most dangerous bases. Sonic had nearly drowned, and might have completely, if he hadn't gotten a boost of his dark super form. Sonic never said anything about it to Shadow, and Shadow never asked. He just assumed Sonic was okay. He never even asked how the mission went._

 _Ruby met clouded emerald, and Shadow raised a brow. "What?"_

 _Sonic's expression doesn't change in the slightest. "Are you mad at me for something?"_

 _Shadow blinks, confused by this question. He turns to fully face his boyfriend, dropping his bag on the edge of the bed, and crosses his arms. "What do you mean?"_

 _The cobalt mobian stares for a moment, then shakes his head. "Are you mad at me?"_

 _The darker hedgehog's frown deepens. "Why would I be mad at you?"_

 _Sonic huffs, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you, or are you not?"_

" _No…" Shadow starts, still not understanding where this was going. "Why?"_

 _The Blue Blur shakes his head again. "Because you keep leaving me. You won't talk to me. You don't check up on me. You ignore me. Like the old you did all the time to me." He stops and sighs, closing his eyes. "So I thought you were mad at me…"_

 _Shadow stares, dumbfounded. Had he really been like that? For how long? "I'm…not mad at you, Sonic."_

 _The hedgehog opens his eyes and looks at the older male with a confused frown. "Then do you just not want anything to do with me?"_

 _Shadow's eyes widen. "That's not…" he stops himself, taken aback by this statement. He walks over to the hero, kneeling beside the side of the couch, reaching for him. When Sonic flinches away, he could feel his heart break in two. "I'm not mad at you, and I would never want nothing to do with you. You mean more to me than anything I can ever express, maybe more than Maria did, and I would never, could never, leave you like that."_

 _Sonic's eyes narrow. "Then why are you doing it now? Just like last week, and the time before that? You didn't even ask how my mission with Tails went. You didn't care."_

' _Oh, fuck…'_

 _He had completely forgotten about that mission. Now that he thought about it…Sonic's red muzzle had been in such a state since he came home. His whole body seemed ragged and he was always cold, always snuggling a blanket, but his skin, his fur, was hot to the touch. A cough here and there, a sneeze or two after…was Sonic sick? Why hadn't he realized this sooner? Why had he been so ignorant these past couple of months?_

" _S-Sonic…"_

 _He didn't know what to say. He felt like a total douche._

 _The blue hero shakes his head and sits up, moving around Shadow to stand up and walk over to the bedroom door. He could hear sniffling, and watched the blue hog wipe his eyes as he opened the door and walk out._

 _Was he crying?_

 _By the time he got up and went downstairs, Sonic was already gone._

* * *

"It didn't seem like you two had any problems."

Sonic sighs and leans against the old, maple tree behind him. "That's because I didn't want to bring it up with anyone. I don't know or understand why he was doing it, why he kept leaving, but…"

Knuckles watches the blue hedgehog slowly slide down to sit on the grass below, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his chin on his arms as he folded them across his knees. "You have any theories?"

Sonic shakes his head. "I just want things to go back to normal. I don't want to hate him like I did before he left."

The guardian's eyes widen a bit. "You hated him?"

Sonic nods. "Despised him. I never depend on anyone, but he always promised he would always be there for me. He wasn't, and I hated that I trusted him. I hated all of it."

That was understandable. Sonic never put his life in anyone's hands before, so when Shadow stepped up to take that responsibility, Sonic had put his guard up to see if the dark hedgehog was worthy of it. After their anniversary, he declared Shadow was safe. Apparently, things weren't so nice afterwards.

"You never fought him?"

Sonic shakes his head. "I thought he would see it on his own."

"Hmm…"

The blue hero sighs then, standing back up to his feet. They had been searching for any energy signals for the better of an hour now, yet they were still getting nothing. Sonic was starting to get doubtful, and the echidna had thought it would be a good idea to sit for a moment and talk. "Maybe after we find him," Sonic starts, cutting off the red mobian's thoughts. "I'll beat him up."

The guardian smirks, chuckling lightly. "As long as I get front row seats."

Sonic smiles softly, chuckling as well. "Deal."

Then something in the distance exploded, loud, shaking the ground like an earthquake.

Both hedgehog and echidna whip around, their eyes wide. "What the hell was that?!" Knuckles exclaims.

"The castle!" Sonic pointed out, in which the direction of the explosion came from.

The two run out of the woods they were in, and sure enough, in the distance, the castle of Soleana was lit up in flames and smoke. Parts of the walls were crumbling down, people were running out screaming, and the calm sky seemed to turn dark.

" _BLAZE!"_

* * *

The two ran quickly across the fields, pushing passed people once they made it to the city. A large, crumbling boulder came crashing down not too far from them, and Sonic had to hope and pray that no one was stuck under it. They bolted to the castle, dashing inside straight to the main hall.

Mephiles stood, smirking, his foot over Blaze's back, as she lay unconscious on the ground, flames swirling around him and rising into the air.

Sonic cursed himself. Why did he think it would be that simple? Why didn't do anything more about Mephiles?

The dark creature laughs, almost manically. "You must be proud of yourself, my pet. You're incredibly naïve." He disappears in a dark flash, leaving the princess behind.

Sonic huffs, clenching his fist. "Knuckles…get Blaze out of here."

The echidna looks at his friend with wide eyes. "What? I'm not leaving you here to-!"

Sonic glares back at him. "I said go, dammit!"

Knuckles freezes, taken aback by the hedgehog's harsh order. Anytime Sonic acted like this, it reminded him that this was the hero that founded the resistance, the leader of the Freedom Fighters. As much as he didn't want to leave his friend, he knew he had to listen. He had no choice.

"Just be careful."

Sonic nods. "I'll try to separate them. Call Rouge and Wolf and tell them they need to be here, _now_."

Knuckles watches as Dark Chaos Energy swirled around Sonic. So that was it, then? Sonic was going to use his strongest form against the fake Solaris. It was only him in this fight, he supposed he had no choice.

"Alright."

Picking up Blaze, the echidna watches as Dark Sonic disappears from sight, a worried frown crossing his muzzle.

* * *

Flying up into the dark, purple space, Dark Sonic turns himself to face the monster that had been haunting him for the past two, now almost three months. This was it. He was going to put this bastard in his place. He was going to show this ill creation what true power, true strength, true ability, really was.

He was going to show him what happened when you messed with someone he loved.

His dark, emerald eyes disappear completely, leaving nothing but pure, white irises.

He could see Mephiles in the center of this large, monstrous creature. The dark hedgehog seemed to be smirking at him, as if challenging him. Sonic scoffs and shoots forward, avoiding the dark beams that shot towards him as he flew forward.

His idea wasn't to fight Solaris head on. No, he had other plans.

Focusing on the Chaos Energy building in his chest, he centers in on the creature in front of him. His voice was dark as he murmured to himself, and the grin on his muzzle seemed sinister.

"Chaos, Control."

* * *

"Knuckles!"

The echidna turns his amethyst eyes to Rouge and Wolf, of both were sporting a large, red emerald in between them as they ran. The red Master Emerald sparkled and gleamed brightly, its warmth felt from all within its wake. Blaze, who had woken up just a moment ago, looks on in shock. The emerald itself was here, right in front of her. Sonic and Knuckles had been right!

Rouge, who had initially called them, stops running, panting heavily as Wolf sets the emerald down behind her. "How is Sonic doing?"

Knuckles frowns and looks up. "Beats me. He went up there, and a few explosions later, it's been eerily quiet."

Wolf's ears bent back, he as well looking up into the large hole that used to be the castle, a large, purple vortex swirling in the sky above them. As Knuckles had said, it was eerily quiet, the only sounds being that of the howling wind, and the Master Emerald's buzz of energy.

"I don't like this," Wolf finally speaks, looking back down. "How are we to know when he needs help?"

The echidna shakes his head and looks down at Blaze, who was sitting up against him, still weak. "We won't, I guess. We just have to wait and see."

* * *

"E-Easy, Shadow…"

The black and red hedgehog, the real Shadow, curses under his breath as he forces himself to walk a few more feet. The moment he woke up, he began questioning everyone. Eggman explained to him what had been going on, Mephiles disguising himself as Shadow, hurting Sonic, taking Sonic's energy, and his plans. He also explained Sonic, Knuckles, and Rouge going to the Sol dimension to help Blaze fight off Mephiles and hopefully seal him away for good. Shadow, of course, had been livid beyond hell. He was down right furious with the story he had been told, and after Tails and Amy had backed up the doctor, Shadow had gotten up with the intention of getting to his mate.

"You need some more time," Eggman tried, crossing his arms over his chest. "What good will you be to Sonic in that condition?"

This made Shadow pause in his steps, leaning against the wall with a scowl. The human had a point, even if it was a shitty one. He needed to get to Sonic. That was all he cared about. He just needed to see him, to apologize, to hold him, and to promise that everything was going to be better from here on out.

He felt nauseous.

His head was spinning and his thoughts were racing. He felt like something terrible was going to happen if he didn't leave now. He could feel it in his connection with Sonic and his energy. Something was very, very wrong here…

"I need…to go…"

Eggman sighs. Tails and Amy exchange worried looks.

"Alright," Eggman states "I hope you know what you're doing."

Shadow huffs.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 _What? It was obvious I wasn't done with Mephiles~_

 _Guess the relationship Sonic and Shadow had before Mephiles took over wasn't really as good as everyone had thought…_

 _Currently taking votes for who wants to see Sonic beat up Shadow. Knuckles's vote counts as 1._

 _I couldn't end this story without a grand finale. The next chapter will be the final chapter. You ready?_


	12. Twelve

**Twelve**

The large, purple boned beast before him seemed to glare it's yellow eyes at him. A slow, sharp grin curved Dark Sonic's lips, his emerald irises vanishing from sight. This fake Solaris amused him for some reason. He didn't know what he found to be so funny about this creature, but he laughed nonetheless.

"Faker…" he chuckled to himself.

 _How ironic fate can be…_

He clenches his fists, his cobalt-colored energy swirling around him. The beast in the distance roared at its challenger, as if taunting the dark hedgehog to even try. A thumb wiped across his nose, as Dark Sonic chuckled to himself cockily.

A dark streak was left in his trail as he shot forward, dodging rubble and meteors left and right. A loud crack and boom not unlike thunder, broke the sky in a quake as he struck the creature head first. The demon roared and swiped its arm to throw away his attacker, but the dark hedgehog simply dashed around and slammed into its back.

With a grin he dashes around once more, aiming to strike the creature again.

A large beam of purple flames knocked him away instead.

The dark hedgehog went sailing backwards, the force of the hit sending him flying like a fly swatter. He groans, curses, then throws an arm and leg out to righten himself in midair. He huffs loudly, wiping off the side of his muzzle. A soft pain in his chest made him look down, and he couldn't stop the scowl from crossing his muzzle.

Blood flowed like a fall down his torso, from the deep slash he received from the hit.

" _I forgot I'm not invulnerable in this form…"_

His dark form was indeed his strongest form, but he was more susceptible to damage, whereas in his super form, he was weaker, yet invulnerable.

"Take one and lose one," he muttered.

At least he healed pretty quickly…

His frown deepens at the demon's roar. It was as if he were being laughed at…

"You…" he growls. Before he could even make a threat however, a blast of golden Chaos Energy struck the back of Solaris.

Dark Sonic froze, his breath catching in his throat. That energy, belonged to only one person he knew.

 _Shadow._

He doesn't waste another minute. Dashing forward in a blaze of cobalt blue, he strikes Solaris himself, just as Super Shadow turns around and strikes him again. Blue and gold flashed and blended into an emerald green around Solaris, the beast roaring and screaming as it was torn apart. A whirlwind of Chaos spun into a cyclone, until the blinding light grew so big, it exploded across the sky.

* * *

A swirling red light spiraled around the Master Emerald, whirring loudly as Iblis took its rightful place inside the large, red gem. A loud bang followed, white splitting across the dark sky, the bright pink of morning light casting its rays on the battle worn land. Slowly, carefully, solleans made their way out from under the rubble and into the street, watching the sun's light twinkle off the radiance of their long lost Master Emerald. A loud cheer then rose from them; whistles and cries of pure joy filling the air.

The group of friends who had been part of this fight, watch from the center of what use to be a castle, as a dark purple flame hit the ground, forming into a small object on the ground.

"…the Scepter of Darkness," Rouge murmurs, and Wolf walks over to pick it up.

"What's left of Mephiles," the guardian says, glaring at the relic in his hand. He turns to face Knuckles, who was helping Blaze to her feet. "It needs to be sealed away."

The echidna nods. "Defiantly. You have a place in mind?"

The red wolf nods. "Yes."

Two loud booms echoed behind them, and the group turns to watch two plumes of dirt and smoke rise up from the nearby field.

* * *

Dark wisps of cobalt and onyx swirled around the Hero of Mobius, while bright gold and silver burned from the Ultimate Lifeform.

"Shadow," Rouge breathes, and Knuckles holds up a hand. She gives him a questioning look, and he nods in the hedgehogs' direction. "Watch."

Dark Sonic and Super Shadow stood about six feet from each other, unmoving. Sonic's eyes were bright white, his face unreadable, while Shadow's ruby irises were focused and filled with more emotion then anyone had ever seen.

"Sonic…" he starts.

The darkened hero bolted forward, slamming into his golden counterpart at a sickening speed. The two went flying, and the group could only gasp in shock.

"What's he doing?!" Rouge exclaims. "Why is he fighting him?"

"Just wait," Knuckles says, giving her a hard look. "Leave it be. Sonic needs this."

"…but…" Rouge cuts herself off. Knuckles obviously knew something she didn't. With a deep frown, the bat girl shakes her head and sighs.

Meanwhile Shadow was struggling to kick the dark hero off of him. A fist reared back and struck him in the jaw, before he was able to get a grip and push the angry hedgehog off. He rolls to his right just in time to miss a red shoe by his skull, and jumps to his feet to dodge a swing of a leg. He wasn't able to dodge, however, the Chaos Spear that struck him in the stomach next.

He lets out a grunt of pain as he's sent backwards, his skates skidding across the grass and dirt. He barely has a second to get his hands up to catch the navy blue hedgehog coming at him, and their fists interlock. They pushed against each other, Dark Sonic with his sharp teeth bared in anger, and Super Shadow's grit in nervousness. He was never nervous in a fight, but then again, this wasn't really a fight…

"You're angry at me," he breathes out to the dark mobian. Sonic growls and whips out a leg, trying to kick the other away. Shadow disappears in a flash of blue and reappears behind his mate, catching him again as he turns around and strikes at him. He grabs his wrists, but is met with a foot to his chest, and he flies backwards, his back skidding across the ground. He groans, shaking his head, looking up just in time to see Sonic stomp his foot again into his chest. An oomph breaks his lips, and as Sonic lifts his leg up again, he reaches up and grabs his ankle tightly. With all the strength he had left, he yanks the other down over to his side, slamming the blue hedgehog on the ground with enough force to leave a small, yet noticeable crater. He crawls up and over the dark mobian, grabbing his wrists again and forcing them above his head.

"You have every right to be mad at me, Sonic." The dark mobian lets out a warning growl as Shadow avoids another kick. "I left you, again and again, and I never listened to anything you said to me, wished of me."

Dark Sonic seemed to pause, but only to glared daggers of flame into the other's eyes. Shadow continues. "I should have quit G.U.N. I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have ever left you knowing something could have happened to you." His ears flatten slightly, and he looks sadly at his mate's darken state. "I'm sorry, Sonic."

There was nothing but silence, and Shadow looking as hopeful as anyone could ever look. Dark Sonic said not a word, but after another moment, he closes his eyes, and when they open, dark emerald green glared with fire at Shadow.

"You quit G.U.N."

Shadow nods. "As soon as we get home."

Sonic scowls. "You're fixing our house."

The gold and red hedgehog frowns. "Anything, Sonic."

"You're not allowed to leave unless I say."

His voice was harsh and firm. The Ultimate Lifeform nods oncemore. "Sonic, I'm not going anywhere for a long time. I swear on Maria's name I won't leave you again."

The gaze from his mate seemed to soften then, and the last of Sonic's dark form seemed to dissipate. Shadow's golden fur faded back into it's jet black color, minus the cuts and bruises littering his form.

They stared at each other for what seemed hours, before Shadow noticed something. Sonic's eyes were glossy red, and although narrowed, one could just see the hurt and pain in those emerald irises.

Leaning down, the black and red hedgehog wraps his arms around the blue mobian, pressing a warm kiss on the side of his muzzle. "I'm so sorry, Sonic."

A cough was heard from the blue hero, and he felt shaky arms wrap around his torso.

"I….I hate you…I hate you so much…"

Shadow smiles sadly.

"I love you too, faker."

* * *

A low moan and sharp gasp broke into the dark room, followed by a soft cry that made the other purr. Black furred hands traveled down svelte blue hips, over curves and old scars and around a soft trembling thigh. Sharp teeth bit into warm flesh, while a soft tongue caressed the marks. Sonic mewled, arching his back, as Shadow ran his tongue over a nipple, while his hands felt and fondled the writhing body beneath him. A quiet, husky chuckle left the darker hedgehog's lips, hearing his younger mate whisper a curse under his breath. One hand made its way up over a fawn chest, its thumb flicking the nub in its path. Another sharp gasp, before a deep moan made its surface, as he bit down into the other.

His other hand traveled down in between strong legs, below bucking hips and enclosed in aching thighs, his fingers slowly, teasingly, dragging their way up and down and in a circle around the heated area. Another curse left moist fawn lips, and another chuckle left his own.

"…d-damn tease…"

Sonic's breath was hot and heavy, his heart pounding in his ears. Shadow leaned up, pressing warm kisses across his mate's jaw, his cheek, the crook of his neck, back up to claim those shaking lips. A forceful bite of white teeth forced those lips apart, and that wet tongue slid in eagerly, dancing and tasting every part of the younger's mouth. Sonic moaned, reaching up to wrap his arms around the elder's neck, his fingers interlocking, while Shadow tilted his head, leaning down, pushing deeper into the warm cavern of the one he called his lover.

His hand below put itself to work by rubbing a thumb across the heated sheath of the hero's crouch. It pressed down, before it circled around, then pressed inside the heated pouch, drawing a choked mewl from the male beneath it. Sonic bucked and whined, his arms pulling Shadow closer to him. His own teeth grabbed a stressful hold on the other's bottom lip, trying to find an outlet for all the pressure he was drowning under.

"M-mm…"

The skillful hand below was easing out his aching member slowly and painfully. He needed it, and he needed it now.

"S-Sha-adow…"

The hand fondling his chest squeezed the nub it currently had a hold of, while Shadow's mouth went back to the whimpering hedgehog's neck.

"I…I…ah…stop…teassssing…."

He arched his back and whined. A blue leg kicked and his hips bucked. A black furred hand finally enclosed around his throbbing member, squeezing hard, before pressing its thumb down into the tip.

"A-Ah!"

The blue mobian was at a loss. He couldn't breathe at this point, while his heart was doing a mile a minute. He was hot and felt heavy, his fur matting with sweat. He was nothing but warm pudding in Shadow's hands, unable to hold himself together as he was continued to be broken apart. A hand grabbed the quills in the back of his head, pulling him up for a rough kiss, while the hand below reached up to grab a blue waist.

No more teasing, Shadow decided. Sonic was going to go insane by this point, and it wasn't entirely fair to him. He lifted up those blue hips, delicately aligning himself, before he slams in.

The cry that escaped his mate's lips was deliciously loud and willful. Sonic's grip on Shadow tightened immensely, his head burying into the white patch of fur on the dark hedgehog's chest. Shadow pulled back, only for a second, before he thrusted his hips forward again, aiming for the sweet, hot spot inside the younger male.

Another scream muffled into his chest, and he moaned into the soft blue fur of the other's head. He kept his rhythm even, in and out and in and out into that warm bundle of nerves that sent the Hero of Mobius into a daze of stars only he could create. He holds him close, pulling back, and thrusting forward one last time, sending them both over the edge.

Sonic's last cry was a quiet one, followed by weak mewls and whimpers. He curled up into the older male, his quills and ears flatten against his body. He seemed so small and weak, and Shadow had a sudden impulse to hold him close, wrapping his arms around his shaking form and pulling him against himself. They lay their, panting, followed by a soft whine here and there. Shadow smiled sleepily, enjoying the weak sounds his mate was making beneath him.

He presses a warm, gentle kiss on the side of his muzzle, nuzzling him affectionately. His voice was a soft whisper, as his hand reached for Sonic's, feeling for the smooth metal band around his middle finger.

"You're mine…"


	13. Welcome Home

**Author's Note:**

 _Thank you everyone who followed me on this story, along with all your favs, follows, and reviews. I wasn't expecting this story to get so big, but it did, and I'm happy you all loved it as you did._

 _So, second story I've finished on Fanfiction, and, I did promise you guys a sequel…_

 _Here's a little bonus for you guys: A little scene from the sequel to You're Mine, "Welcome Home."_

* * *

"As much as I'm enjoying the view, can't you hurry it up?" Shadow huffs. "It's not easy holding you like this."

Rouge grins where she sits, resting her head on her right hand. "Oh boy…" she chuckles.

Sonic frowns, his fingers flying furiously over the keyboard. "Well, sitting on a shoulder isn't exactly the most comforting thing in the world, faker."

Shadow frowns. "I could have found you something to stand on."

"That would have taken too long."

Knuckles sighs and turns from the bickering couple, sitting on a dusty but nearby chair. "Haven't you found anything yet?"

The Hero of Mobius grinds his teeth in irritation. "No, not yet. Kintobor's codes aren't exactly the easiest things to crack, and I grew up with him."

Amy tilts her head curiously. "How much did he teach you?"

Shadow scoffs, "Not enough, apparently."

Sonic's brows furrow. "Just shut up and give me a minute."

The black and red hedgehog rolls his eyes. "It's been twenty minutes, love. You still haven't even found the password."

"I would be able to find it if you would shut up long enough for me to focus."

Knuckles runs a hand over his eyes. "I knew we should have brought Tails…"

"I got this!" Sonic exclaims angrily. "Tails wouldn't have been able to figure out Kintobor's code anyway. Only I know it."

"Why are you so persistent about Tails not being involved?" Shadow questions.

Sonic felt a blood vessel pop. "I didn't even want Amy here, but she showed up on her own!"

The girl sweatdrops, and looks over at Rouge and Knuckles, who simultaneously shrugged. Shadow sighs. "Look, why don't you take a break or something?"

Sonic huffs. "Because I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."

"I know that," Shadow says, his voice softer, "but you're obviously too stressed out to focus right now. Why don't we take a minute of rest? Isn't there anywhere in this building we can sleep for the night?"

Sonic was quiet, as grew the room, as his fingers paused in their typing. Everyone waited for his answer eagerly, all agreeing that rest sounded like a good thing at that moment.

"…Fine," he finally answers. "Let me down."

Shadow turns the blue hero in his arms, flipping and catching him bridal style. He sets his mate on the floor, pressing a kiss on the side of his muzzle. "You'll thank me for this later."

Sonic pushes him away, walking towards the door of the room. "Yeah, whatever. Just…wait here. I need to go check up on a few things before we make rooms for the night."

Knuckles stands up then, raising a brow. "Check up on what?"

Sonic stops, frowning. His brows furrowed, and they could see him hesitate in his movements. That odd aura from earlier seemed to grow around him, and he looked back at them with…nervousness in his eyes?

"Just…making sure the rooms are clean and stuff. Wait here, I'll be back in a sec…"

Shadow steps forward. "By yourself? Absolutely not-"

"Shadow," Sonic starts, holding up a hand. "Let me deal with this."

The Ultimate Lifeform freezes, blinking in surprise. Sonic's behavior since arriving here was strange enough, but this was far from usual. Before he even had a chance to respond, Sonic was gone.

"Odd…" Rouge starts, watching her friend stand there in confusion. "What do you think he's hiding?"

Knuckles gives her a look. "Well, some serious shit happened here. The only reason he survived himself was because he's immortal. Think about being a twelve year old and the only survivor to all this…"

Amy sighs sadly. "It must have been hard on him…"

Shadow turns from the door, going over to a small crate, sitting on it exhaustingly, his head in his hands. "All this for a cure…"

"At least you're here for it," Knuckles coughs.

The onyx hedgehog silently agreed. "He never explained the seriousness of the situation."

Knuckles raises a brow. "When does he ever?"

Rouge shakes her head and stands up. "But this is different. The first and only person to show him parental love and kindness becomes a monster, and everyone and everything he grew up around, dead. Who would want to even think about that?"

Shadow sighs. "Every time he fights the doctor…"

They all went quiet, passing the same grim looks between each other.

"I couldn't imagine," Amy starts, "fighting the same person I loved and depended on."

Rouge looks directly at Shadow, who turns his head away. How many times has the thought crossed him? He couldn't imagine if the same thing had happened to Maria. There was no way he would be able to fight her the way Sonic fights Robotnik.

"Kintobor was like his father," Knuckles murmurs. "These people that worked here, lived here, were his friends and family."

More silence.

After a few minutes, Shadow shakes his head and stands up. "I'm going to find him. I don't like him by himself here, not with how sick he is, and certainly with how unstable his energy's been since we got here."

Knuckles nods, standing as well. "I agree. The idiot's probably hurt himself already."

Shadow heads for the door as the two girls join them. Reaching for the knob, he frowns. Was that a tremor?

Before he could touch the handle, the whole building started to shake.

"It's another earthquake!"

The group gets down and low, covering their heads and bracing themselves for the worst.


	14. Hello

_Oh my Chaos, look at this story._ _I couldn't believe it when I saw this story was still receiving attention. Well, we've hit 100 Favorites, and I have to say, that's outstanding._ _I understand I haven't really made progress with the sequel, "Welcome Home," but I do plan on finishing it, and then writing a third and final story to compliment this series._ _I just wanted to take this minute to thank you guys for all the support since I've come back to fanfiction, and wish you guys a slightly late Merry Christmas along with a safe and Happy New Year. Always remember that when things seem bad or down, there's always tomorrow._ I have an update coming up soon for one of my stories, so expect that soon.

- _Anonymoux_


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